This healthy, satisfying Mediterranean lentil salad recipe with spinach, crunchy vegetables, and a zippy lime dressing is the ultimate power bowl! It's loaded with nutrition, easy to make, and it's even better the next day!
Lentils are an essential ingredient in my Mediterranean pantry. They are hearty, satisfying, and loaded with good-for-you nutrition--from plant-based protein, to iron, fiber, antioxidants and more!
But, aside from the fact that they are a food powerhouse, lentils are super easy to use. They don't require a whole lot of planning or soaking overnight, and they cook pretty quickly.
You can catch me reaching for a bag of lentils any night of the week to make a warm-your-belly vegan lentil soup, or my favorite lentils and rice dish Mujadara, or go for something a bit brighter with our Lentil Salad With Roasted Eggplant And Pomegranate Dressing. Or a version of today's healthy lentil salad recipe, tossed with greens, crunchy veggies, and a bright lime dressing!
What kind of lentils are best for lentil salad?
There are about a dozen lentil varieties. For salad, it is best to use a firm variety such as green lentils or black lentils--that can hold their shape after cooking. I do not recommend using yellow or red split lentils for this salad because they dissolve when cooking and are perfect for something like a creamy red lentil soup.
In this recipe, I use dry all-natural green lentils, which are heaty and have a mild and pleasant peppery flavor that's well-complimented by the vegetables and dressings in this salads. They take a little longer to cook, but even as they get nice and tender, they don't lose their shape and turn mushy.
Another great option for this salad is dry all-natural black beluga lentils. They're quick-cooking and have a nice creamy texture and earthy, deep flavor.
How to cook lentils for salad?
Lentils do not require soaking and you can cook them for this salad one night in advance, just drain and keep them in the fridge until you're ready to use. To cook 1 cup of dry lentils (green or black), you'll need 3 cups of water. Here is how to cook lentils for this salad:
- Start with 1 cup dry green lentils or black lentils
- Rinse the lentils well and drain
- In a saucepan, combine the lentils with 3 cups of water
- Bring to a rapid simmer over high heat, then lower the heat to medium-low, cover and let the lentils simmer anywhere from 20 to 45 minutes. (Black lentils will cook in 20 to 25 minutes, while green lentils will cook anywhere from 35 to 45 minutes)
- When the lentils are tender and fully cooked, drain well and allow them to cool a bit. Then either store them in the fridge overnight or toss them in this Mediterranean salad and chill for later.
Mediterranean lentil salad: How to make it
This lentil salad recipe takes on some crunchy veggies and bold Mediterranean flavors you'll love!
Once cooked to tender perfection, drain the lentils and combine them in a mixing bowl with the rest of the ingredients--crunchy cucumbers, onions, and a large handful of leafy greens (baby spinach or kale are great options here).
When pomegranates are in season, I love to add a good cup of pomegranate seeds (arils)--the sweet, tangy, juicy pomegranate seeds add a little something unexpected and delightful.
The simple lentil salad dressing is made by whisking fresh lime juice, extra virgin olive oil, Kosher salt, and a dash of cumin and allspice (you can play with the spices to your liking as well, but the warm flavors work really well with the hearty lentils.)
One of my favorite things to add on top is some crumbled creamy feta, but if you're going for a vegan lentil salad, you can simply omit the cheese.
Ways to serve this salad
I love how versatile this simple green lentil salad is!
Because it's so hearty, it can totally stand alone as a meal. I've served it for lunch with just a side of challah or crusty bread. It also makes a great side next to:
- Fish & Seafood: Baked Cod, Halibut, or Lemon Garlic Salmon, Spanish Shrimp (Gambas al Ajillo)
- Chicken: Baked Chicken Drumsticks, Italian Baked Chicken, Chicken Shawarama
- Lamb: Rack of Lamb, Boneless Leg or Lamb
- Vegetarian: Spanish Tortilla, Roasted Cauliflower, or even Eggplant Lasagna
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Mediterranean Power Lentil Salad
Ingredients
- 1 cup dry green lentils or black lentils
- Seeds of 1 pomegranate
- Water
- Kosher salt
- 1 small red onion chopped
- ¾ English cucumber small diced or chopped (about 2 ½ cups)
- 2 to 3 cups baby spinach or other leafy green of choice
- 1 cup chopped fresh parsley
- Crumbled feta cheese for garnish
Lime Dressing
- ¼ cup fresh lime juice
- ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil I used Early Harvest Greek olive oil
- 2 teaspoon honey
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon ground allspice
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Cook the lentils. In a saucepan, combine lentils with 3 cups of water and pinch of kosher salt. Bring to a boil. Cover, and lower heat to medium-low. Let simmer until the lentils are fully tender (anywhere from 25 to 45 minutes depending on the kind of lentils used). Be sure to check and add water if lentils seem too dry during the cooking process (they should absorb a lot of the water. Drain and set aside to cool.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine cooked lentils with chopped onions, cucumbers, baby spinach, parsley, and pomegranate seeds (arils.) Give everything a gentle toss.
- Make the dressing. In a small bowl or measuring cup, whisk together the lime dressing ingredients. Pour the dressing over the lentil salad and toss to combine. Add a sprinkle of feta cheese to finish.
- Allow a few minutes for the flavors to meld before serving.
Notes
- Make-ahead tip: You can cook the lentils the night before. Drain and refrigerate in a tight-lid glass container until ready to use.
- For best flavor: allow the lentil salad to sit for just a few minutes to soak up the flavors of the lime dressing.
- Visit Our Online Shop to browse Mediterranean ingredients, including lentils, Greek extra virgin olive oils, and spices!
Nutrition
*This post originally appeared on The Mediterranean Dish in 2015 and has recently been updated with new information and media for readers' benefit. Enjoy!
Hi Susan just wondering if we can substitute orzo for spelt grain in the salad . Your recipes are delicious and we as a family enjoy them.
Can you please post some salads using grains .
Thanks and best wishes
Hello! I'm a little confused... this recipe doesn't call for either orzo or spelt grain.
Oh sorry Suzy I I think I had the wrong recipe when I was asking you about the spelt grain . Are there any salad recipes using spelt grain or quinoa.
We don't have any recipes for spelt grain, unfortunately, but we do have a few that include quinoa: Vegan Quinoa Chili, Butternut Squash with Lentils & Quinoa, and the tomato mint quinoa in this Mediterranean Grilled Lamb Chops recipe. Hope that helps!
This was a wonderful side dish for grilled salmon. I didn’t have any pomegranate, so I substituted chopped tomatoes. It turned out great. The leftovers will make a great lunch.
Thanks so much, Jeanne!
Why is this recipe under vegan? It's misleading....
Hello! All of the main ingredients are vegan. The addition of feta is totally optional, as stated in the blog post.
I bought Vegan Feta.
That dressing is so delicious, I could drink it! Made it for lunch yesterday using arugula instead of spinach and goat cheese instead of feta. I do wish I had made more dressing though because I used Trader Joe's pre-cooked lentils, so I might have added more lentils than what the recipe called for. I paired it with some Middle Eastern spiced meatballs, yogurt, picked red onions, and a tahini sauce.
Hi! This is my favorite salad but i remember the dressing was different before (with mint) is there any way to find the ingredients for that dressing?
Hi Beatriz, the dressing has not changed, but you can certainly add some chopped fresh mint!
I had this recipe saved with swiss chard, mint and ginger. Wanted to look up the dressing and found the recipe changed. I guess both are delicious. I substituted swiss chard with avocado anyway.
Thank you for sharing, Celia! This is very rare, but sometimes we do revisit and update some recipes. Glad you enjoyed it.
This has been one of my go to recipes for many years. But, the version I had saved had a dressing with mint, cumin and balsamic vinegar. I wanted to check the ratio of ingredients. If anyone still has that version, I would love a copy!
Made this recipe this afternoon with a couple of minor substitutions. I didn't have parsley, but I had some fresh mint I needed to use up so I used that. I used lemon juice instead of a lime, used 1 1/2 tsp of cumin (because I can't read apparently) and didn't have any allspice so I used cinnamon and nutmeg because you can't be picky in a pandemic. It tasted great, but I'm sure it would also be wonderful as written too, my point is don't shy away from this recipe if you don't have all the exact ingredients. Anyway, not only is this a gorgeous salad, but it was absolutely delicious! Thanks so much for posting it.
Thanks for sharing your substitutions, Jodi! So glad you liked it!!
I made this recipe twice in a week. The lime is wonderful in it. Great recipe.
That's wonderful! Sounds like a winner for you
I love most of your recipes but this is just sort of nothing. Sorry to say so but I do wish people would try the recipe before they post and boost the star rating! This has no real zip - although all the ingredients suggest otherwise.
Not sure what may have not worked for you in this simple recipe, Jane. Using quality ingredients, this recipe is one that is filled with flavor and nutrition for us. But we always appreciate hearing from folks.
Always graceful Suzy ❤️
Will make this lentil salad for tonight!
You are very sweet, thank you! Hope you enjoy the salad!
All those colours...yummm! How good do those pomegranate seeds go with this dish. Thanks for sharing an epic recipe Suzy.
I do love lentil based salads as they never leave you feeling hungry. This one sounds super delicious and simple too! Love the touch from pomegranate seeds. Cannot wait to make it for my lunch!
This looks so filling and healthy, perfect for a filling winter dinner!
Textures, flavors and it's clean! Great lentil recipe you got there!
This is absolutely going to be my meal prep for tomorrow! Thanks for such a fulfilling and flavorful looking recipe!
How long will this keep for?
About 3 to 4 days or so, if properly stored.
Just yum!
So glad to hear it!
Never thought to use lentils in a salad. YUM