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This healthy Lentil Salad with cooked lentils and diced carrots, celery, bell pepper, onion, parsley, and lemon juice is ideal for making ahead for lunch because the flavors only recuperate overnight.
Lentil Salad
I really like warm lentils, like in my Chicken and Lentil Soup and Lentils and Rice with Eggs and Bacon, but I used to be never really a fan of lentils in a salad (I’m a picky legume eater). But that every one modified years ago after I bought a chilly lentil salad at a health food store. I enjoyed every little thing about it – aside from the high price. Lentils are so inexpensive to cook at home, so I knew I needed to try making the salad myself. My homemade version was a fraction of the fee of the store-bought one, so save your money, and make this salad ASAP! It’s also vegan, high in fiber and protein, and only about 100 calories per serving.
What’s lentil salad made from?
- Lentils: Brown lentils cook with bay leaf and fresh thyme. Green or black lentils would also work, and canned lentils are fantastic when you’re in a rush. In the event you don’t love lentils, make it with any legume or grain, resembling white beans, chickpeas, quinoa, or a mixture.
- Vegetables: This salad recipe calls for celery, bell pepper, and carrots, but be at liberty to make use of whatever you could have. Cherry tomatoes, cucumber, chopped baby spinach, and celery would all work.
- Onion: Swap red onion for shallots or scallions.
- Herbs: Sub fresh basil, mint, or chives for parsley.
- Dressing: Add the lemon juice, garlic, olive oil, salt, and pepper on to the lentil mixture – no have to whisk individually. You can too substitute the lemon juice for red wine or white wine vinegar.
Tips on how to Cook Lentils for Lentil Salad
Lentils cook much quicker than dry beans. Plus, you don’t need to soak them before cooking.
- Mix the lentils, bay leaf, and thyme in a medium saucepan.
- Cover the lentils with an inch of water. Don’t add salt to the water at this point or they are going to take for much longer to cook.
- Bring the lentils to a boil, reduce the warmth to low, and simmer uncovered for 16 to twenty minutes until the lentils are tender but not mushy.
- Drain the lentils and discard the bay leaf.
Lentil Salad Meal Prep
This cold lentil salad recipe makes loads, so that you’ll get a couple of meals out of it. It lasts within the fridge for 3 days and is ideal as leftovers for lunch. In the event you’re on the lookout for more meal prep salads with legumes, try my Black Bean, Avocado, Cucumber, and Tomato Salad and Fiesta Bean Salad.
More Lentil Recipes You’ll Love:
Lentil salad
Prep Time: 15 mins
Cook Time: 20 mins
Total Time: 35 mins
This healthy Lentil Salad with cooked lentils and diced carrots, celery, bell pepper, onion, parsley, and lemon juice is ideal for making ahead for lunch!
- 1 cup dry brown lentils
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 cup finely diced carrots
- 1/3 cup finely diced celery
- 1/4 cup finely diced red bell pepper
- 1/4 cup finely diced red onion
- 1/4 cup minced parsley
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 5 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- fresh ground black pepper
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In a medium saucepan mix lentils, bay leaf, and thyme.
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Add enough water to cover by 1 inch.
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Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer uncovered until lentils are tender but not mushy, about 16 to twenty minutes.
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Drain lentils and discard bay leaf.
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Place in a big work bowl with carrots, celery, red pepper, red onion, parsley, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper.
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Toss to mix and serve chilled or room temperature.
Serving: 1scant cup, Calories: 102kcal, Carbohydrates: 20g, Protein: 7g, Fat: 3g, Sodium: 255mg, Fiber: 9g, Sugar: 1g
WW Points Plus: 3
Keywords: Vegetarian Meals
Your comments are helpful!! In the event you’ve tried this Lentil Salad recipe or some other recipe on health foods diets, don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave me a comment below! I’d love to listen to your thoughts, variations and feedback. And when you took some photos of it, share it with me on Instagram so I can re-share on my stories!