This Mediterranean Lentil Salad {vegan} recipe is a delicious way to enjoy a vegetarian meal that’s satisfying and full of delicious seasonal ingredients.
I’m on a vegetarian kick and am loving it. I’ve started experimenting with lentils and have had great success. Recently I made this Lentil Sloppy Joes recipe which was a hit for most of my family too!
I typically enjoy salads year-round, however, I tend to experiment with non-lettuce salads quite a bit in the warmer months.
These Greek Quinoa Salad and Healthy Creamy Pea Salad {+VIDEO} recipes are a few examples of some of my favorites that I make quite often in the summer.
This time I thought I’d make one with lentils and veggies so that it would be filling enough to have as a meal itself. And it definitely is!
My husband and I enjoyed this Mediterranean Lentil Salad for lunch a few days in a row.
Ingredients Needed to Make This Mediterranean Lentil Salad {vegan}
Salad
- cooked green lentils
- cucumbers
- sweet onion
- 1 bell pepper, red, yellow or orange
- flat-leaf parsley
- Kalamata olives
- feta cheese (if vegan, use a non-dairy substitute)
Dressing
- olive oil
- red wine vinegar
- lemon juice
- maple syrup
- Dijon mustard
- minced garlic
- dried oregano
- salt and black pepper
Substitutions for This Recipe
I absolutely love recipes that are versatile (most of mine) enough that you can use what you have on hand versus heading out to the grocery store for that one missing ingredient.
As you likely know, I am not vegan. However, I like to point out recipes that I made that either can be turned into a vegan recipe with a few swaps, or are naturally vegan.
This recipe just needs one swap with the feta cheese to make it an easy vegan salad.
And if you’re not vegan, you can swap maple syrup with honey.
Variety of Lentils
You can’t go wrong when choosing lentils. They are categorized by color:
- Brown: the most common variety, have an earthy flavor, hold shape well during cooking, great for stews, soups, veggie burgers
- Green: have a more robust flavor than brown, a less expensive substitute for Puy lentils
- Red and yellow: disintegrate when cooked so ideal for soup, stews and casseroles, have a sweet and nutty taste
- Black: harder to find at the store, may also be named Beluga lentils as well, have an earthly taste similar to black beans, are versatile and can be used in salads, roasted or pureed
- Le Puy (French green lentils): have a strong pepper taste, grown in volcanic soil in a protected area of the Le Puy region of France
I’m so glad I started experimenting with lentils since they are so versatile and easy to cook with. In the past I mostly have enjoyed lentils in stews or lentil soups. Thankfully I’m branching out to cold salads!
For more details on cooking techniques check out this Lentils site.
More Chocolate Slopes Recipes Featuring Vegetarian Salads
Easy 4-Ingredient Chickpea Salad
Greek Yogurt Broccoli Salad with Sunflower Seeds
Corn Black Bean & Avocado Salad
Mediterranean Lentil Salad
Ingredients
Salad
- 1 1/2 – 2 cups cooked green lentils (about 3/4 cup dry lentils)
- 2 mini cucumbers chopped
- 1/2 medium sweet onion, chopped or 1 small onion
- 1 bell pepper, chopped red, yellow or orange
- 1/4 cup flat leaf parsley chopped
- 1/4 cup kalamata olives, chopped
- 1/3 cup feta cheese (if vegan, use a non-dairy substitute)
Dressing
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- salt and black pepper ot taste
Instructions
- Cook lentils as directed on package. Once cooked let cool.
- Combine all salad ingredients.
- Combine all dressing ingredients into a bowl or a mason jar. Stir until well combined.
- Pour dressing over salad and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Notes
