Greek Lentil Salad With Lemon Dressing

Name: Greek Lentil Salad With Lemon Dressing
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil; 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice; zest of one lemon; 3 garlic cloves (grated); 1 tsp dijon mustard; 1 tsp za'atar (or Italian seasoning); 1 tsp sea salt; 1 tsp ground cumin (optional); freshly ground pepper; 2 1/2 cups cooked lentils (from 1 cup uncooked); 3 Persian cucumbers (thinly sliced); 1/4 cup cherry tomatoes (cut in half); 1/2 cup arugula (slightly chopped); 1/2 cup feta cheese (crumbled); 1/4 cup red onion (chopped); 1/2 cup hearts of palm (thinly sliced); 1/2 cup kalamata olives (or green olives pitted and halved); 1/4 cup fresh parsley (chopped); 1/4 cup fresh mint (chopped)

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This Easy Greek Lentil Salad is a hearty salad that is perfect for lunch, a side dish or even a vegetarian main dish. Chock full of cucumbers, tomatoes, olives, feta and protein packed lentils and dressed with a lemony dressing. You will love the flavors and textures in this healthy salad!

Cold Mediteranean lentil salad in a white bowl.

You can enjoy this salad warm or chilled, making it a perfect meal prep contender. I especially love to serve it with an extra drizzle of olive oil and a squeeze of lemon juice.

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Ingredients
Additions & Substitutions
Recipe Tips
Confidence Tip
Recipe Frequently Asked Questions
Other Vegetable Recipes
Greek Lentil Salad With Lemon Dressing

Lentils are a terrific plant-based protein and also a great way to incorporate more meatless meals into your weekly rotation. They are a food powerhouse and super easy to use. They don't require a whole lot of planning or soaking overnight, and they cook pretty quickly.

If you are looking for a hearty lentil soup, this Lentil Soup With Sausage is on rotation in the winter months along with Greek Lemon Soup, Keto Cauliflower Soup and Mediterranean White Bean Soup. I also love a good Geek casserole like the Lamb Moussaka!

Ingredients

You will need the following ingredients to make this lentil feta salad:

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See the recipe card for quantities.

Additions & Substitutions

Additions:

Tomatoes - If you would like to add some vibrant tartness to the salad, add in some sundried tomatoes or even swap out the cherry tomatoes for sundried.
Fresh herbs - Add in some fresh dill or fresh mint to brighten the salads flavor.
Peppers - Add in some cut bell peppers. I'm not a huge fan of green bell peppers but I do love adding either red or yellow peppers to my salads!
Radishes - Are you looking for more crunch and a bit of heat? Add some radishes to the dish.

Substitutions

Lentils - You can use any type of lentil in this recipe but red lentils or french lentils hold up the best. Personally? I buy the already cooked lentils at my grocery store so I can skip a step and get right to the salad!
Feta cheese - Goat cheese or fresh mozzarella both work well but I prefer feta in this salad. A good use of leftover feta is to make this Feta Tomato Pasta.
Olives - You can sub out the kalamata olives for black olives or omit it all together.
Za'atar - Use Italian seasoning in place of za'atar.
Persian cucumbers - Persian cucumbers are seedless and small, similar to a pickling cucumber. You can sub out an english cucumber as well.

How To Make Greek Lentil Salad Recipe: Step-By-Step

Here are some quick visual instructions. Remember that full instructions with the exact ingredients are in the printable recipe card:

Step 1: Make the dressing by whisking together in a small bowl the olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, garlic, dijon mustard, za'atar, salt, cumin, and ground black pepper.

Add the lentils and vegetables to a bowl.

Step 2: Cook the lentils if not using pre-cooked. Add the lentils to a large bowl along with the Persian cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, red onion, arugula, hearts of palm, and kalamata olives. Add the feta cheese and mix to combine.

Step 3: Add the dressing to the mix and toss to coat.

Showing an upclose picture of the salad.

Step 4: Add the fresh parsley and mint and then toss again. Taste and serve.

Recipe Tips

The cumin is optional but gives a smokey flavor to the salad. If omitting, add more lemon juice to perk up the flavor.

Confidence Tip

I like to buy already-cooked lentils. You can find them at Trader Joe's or other grocery stores.

I love recipes that include cheese as an ingredient. This Burrata Caprese Salad features cheese as a main ingredient.

Lentil salad in a white bowl with a silver spoon.

Recipe Frequently Asked Questions

How to cook lentils from dry?

Cook on a stovetop using 3 cups of liquid (water, stock, etc.) for every 1 cup of dry lentils. Make sure to use a large enough saucepan, as the lentils will double or triple in size. Bring to a boil, cover tightly, reduce the heat, and simmer until tender. Whole lentils typically cook in 15-20 minutes.

How do you soften dried lentils quickly?

I like to add dried lentils to a large pot of soup or water and let them simmer for about 30 minutes until tender. Red (or yellow) lentils cook much faster than other varieties, becoming soft and tender after just 15 minutes of simmering.

Other Vegetable Recipes

Let me know your thoughts on this Greek Lentil Salad by leaving a star rating below or by sharing it on Facebook, Instagram, Flipboard, or Pinterest!

Thank you!

Gwen

Comments

5 from 6 votes