Updated May 1, 2018
Lentil salad is tasty simple dish that you can serve for dinner or between the meals. You will enjoy spicy-citrus lime dressing! This cold lentil salad is healthy for you. Moreover, it is one of my favorite vegan salad recipes!
You can serve spicy lentil salad for your brunch, lunch or even dinner! Dish up with some roasted vegetables (check how we baked vegetables in a whole pumpkin here) and a refreshing drink! Oh yes, perfect dinner for summer night!
Time to make this lentil salad
Did I mention that it takes only 15 minutes to prepare? You will need your time only to chop some of the ingredients and mix together. No cooking!
Maybe you can prepare this lentil salad even faster? Leave a comment below, how much time it took for you to prepare this easy salad recipe.
Well yes, simple tasty and healthy dish! What’s great, you can take it away and eat during work lunch or share in the picnic. This recipe is also budget-friendly!
Moreover, it has only 154 calories!
Lentils
Main ingredients here are brown lentils, which I used already-cooked from can. You should drain well canned lentils for this salad.
Yes, again, it is a simple salad recipe. Brown lentils are most available and popular. These also look great in the salad, because brown lentils retain their round shape well and don’t become mushy.
However, if you have uncooked lentils, you can use them too. Put lentils in boiling water and cook for 15-20 minutes, then drain and let it cool. Mix with other ingredients and add dressing.
Did you know that lentils are good for your health? It is an excellent source of molybdenum, iron and folate. Lentils also have B-group vitamins, fiber and protein. And almost no fat! Overall, consuming lentils is good for your heart, it also lowers cholesterol and prevents sugar levels spikes.
Moreover, these legumes will give you energy, so you may choose to serve it for your lunch. So this is one of healthy salads to include in your every day diet!
Check our sweet potato soup, where all lentil benefits are combined with other vegetable vitamins!
Lime dressing
You may wonder what’s interesting in this cold lentil salad? Well, the key to making this vegan salad different is dressing. I used Jalapeno Lime Dressing. You will love citrus flavored lentils with spiciness from jalapeno pepper in the end!
I used a tiny bit of finely chopped pickled jalapeno for this lime dressing. Pickles has more hot flavor. If you can’t find pickled jalapeno, add cayenne pepper powder on the end of the knife. Fresh jalapeno will not add the same hot flavor! Well, you can mix it in the salad instead of scallions, too.
And Jalapeno Dressing will make your salad a bomb! In a good way of course, but keep reading, if you need some tips.
Tips to make salad dressing more or less spicy
You can adjust the level of spiciness to your preferences by adding more pickled jalapeno. However, don’t add more than 1/4 tsp per person. Of course you can experiment! But leave some water to be accessible, haha!
On the other hand, if you want this lentil salad to be less spicy, add pickled jalapeno without seeds. If it’s still too spicy for you, add more lime juice, drizzle with more olive oil or add a pinch of sugar or honey to balance the flavor of the dressing!
I recommend to taste your dressing before adding it to the lentil salad. Lentils will soak these amazing flavors pretty fast!
And you can always serve lentil salad with bread! And some fresh drink like this alcohol free raspberry mojito.
Hope these tips will help to prepare your own perfect dressing for the salad!
To my mind, spicy lentils are one of the best salads for dinner. So try this vegan lentil salad!
Find more salad recipes on Cooking Journey blog! We recommend you to check Strawberry rhubarb salad with amazing strawberry sauce, perfect for spring and summer time.
Vegan Lentil Salad
- knife and chipping board
- bowls and spoons
- large sieve for rinsing
- 30 g rocket leaves
- 30 g yellow bell pepper 1/3 of whole pepper
- 60 g cherry tomatoes 4 pcs
- 100 g lentils, canned
- 2 tbsp scallions chopped
- 1 tbsp lime juice from 1/2 lime + lime wedges for serving
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper freshly ground
- 1 tsp olive oil extra virgin
- 1/8 tsp pickled jalapeno finely chopped
- Stir all ingredients for dressing. Leave to infuse.1 tbsp lime juice, 1/2 tsp sea salt, 1/2 tsp black pepper, 1 tsp olive oil, 1/8 tsp pickled jalapeno
- Chop bell pepper. Cut tomatoes in quarters.30 g yellow bell pepper, 60 g cherry tomatoes
- Rinse lentils and combine with tomatoes, bell pepper and scallions.30 g yellow bell pepper, 60 g cherry tomatoes, 100 g lentils, canned, 2 tbsp scallions
- Add rocket leaves to salad and gently combine with other ingredients.30 g rocket leaves
- Mix lime dressing and add it to the salad.
- Serve with lime wedges, add bread and fresh drink aside!
I love lentils – and use them often in curry but not often enough in a salad. This looks delicious – perfect for these warmer months.
Yes, curries are great! But brown lentils retain their shape, which for perfect for a salad like this. Give it a try.
Yum! That salad sounds so delicious! Love that it’s quick and easy! I love the lime dressing as well!
Thanks Beth! Enjoy!
I love all things lentil and I’m always looking for new salads. Can’t wait to try this.
Thank you, Janette! Give this salad a try, I’m sure you will love it!
I really love using lentils in salads — they’re small and innocuous, but add protein and nutrients — not to mention great flavor! Beautiful salad.
Thanks, Lisa! I agree, lentils are tasty and good for health!
I love how easily this salad comes together! That jalapeño lime dressing sounds perfect paired with the lentils and all those veggies.
Thank you Tara! Yes, the dressing ties everything nicely!