Vegan Lentil Salad

This spring inspired vegan lentil salad is filled with tender French lentils, fresh herbs and crunchy radishes.

We are officially in the home stretch, winter is in its last days and temperatures are on the rise.

As much as I enjoy the cozy soups and cups of cocoa fall and winter have to offer, I eagerly anticipate the arrival of spring.  The markets are starting to fill with fresh produce, and after a long winter that is indeed a welcome sight.

Crisp and crunchy with a peppery bite, young spring radishes are one of my favorite vegetables to add to salads around this time of year, this in-between time that ushers out heartier winter fare in favor of lighter warm-weather meals.  I’ve paired them with French lentils for a spring inspired salad.

Which lentils are best for salads?

The French green lentils (lentilles du Puy) are the best ones to use, because unlike other lentils they hold their shape and don’t turn to mush when cooked, which makes them excellent for salads.

What's in the salad?

I’ve added a generous amount of fresh chopped parsley and green onions along with a kicky lemon and olive oil dressing.  Finely chopped radishes and lightly steamed broccoli are added as well.  The crisp radishes add a pleasantly crunchy and cool contrast to the heartier lentils, while a touch of cumin and cayenne in the dressing adds undertones of earthiness and heat.

Easy to make and full of protein and fiber, this simple but satisfying vegan lentil salad is excellent weekday lunch material; it also packs well and can be dressed ahead of time which also makes it perfect picnic (or office lunch) food.

More lentil recipes:

• Kale Lentil Salad
• Red Lentil Carrot Soup

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Yield: 4 Servings

Vegan Lentil Salad

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

This spring inspired vegan lentil salad is filled with tender French lentils, fresh herbs and crunchy radishes.

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Ingredients

• 3 Tablespoons/45ml fresh lemon juice
• 3 Tablespoons/45ml extra virgin olive oil
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• ½ teaspoon ground cumin
• ⅛th teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 garlic clove, finely grated on a microplane
• 1 cup/144g French lentils (place lentils in filtered water with a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar, cover and place in the fridge for 7-12 hours to pre-soak if desired to make lentils more digestible and reduce cooking time)
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 bunch of flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
• 2 small green onions, finely chopped
• 2 Tablespoons chives, finely chopped
• 1 bunch of radishes, finely chopped
• 1 medium head of broccoli florets
• ¼ cup/28g sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds, lightly toasted

Instructions

1. Place broccoli in a steamer basket over a small saucepan of water. Bring to a simmer; cover and steam for 3-4 minutes (until crisp-tender). Coarsely chop broccoli and set aside.
2. Whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, salt, cumin, cayenne pepper and garlic in a large bowl. Set aside.
3. Rinse lentils in filtered water and drain. Combine the lentils, garlic clove, and bay leaf in a large pot and cover with twice their volume of cold filtered water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to a simmer and cook until just tender (about 15 minutes if pre-soaked or 20-25 if not), be careful not to overcook. Drain and remove garlic and bay leaves. Rinse in plenty of cold filtered water and drain thoroughly.
4. Add lentils, chopped herbs, radishes and broccoli to the dressing and toss to combine. Top with toasted sunflower and pumpkin seeds and serve.

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

• 
  Sabarot French Green Lentils from Le Puy - 500g
• 
  Go Raw Mixed Seeds, Pumpkin, Sunflower & Watermelon Seeds with Sea Salt, 13 Ounce. Bag | Keto | Vegan | Gluten Free Snacks| Organic

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 302Total Fat: 25gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 21gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 473mgCarbohydrates: 16gFiber: 6gSugar: 2gProtein: 6g

Nutritional information for recipes contained on this website, such as calories, fat, carbs, etc. are only estimates and are not guaranteed to be accurate.

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Sylvie

Sylvie Shirazi is the recipe developer and food photographer behind Gourmande in the Kitchen. For the last 10 years she's been making eating more healthfully easy and accessible with gluten-free, grain-free, paleo and vegan recipes that are free from processed ingredients.