This vegan lentil salad, made with French lentils, broccoli, radishes, and fresh herbs, is the perfect balance of hearty and fresh. Ideal for picnics, meal prep, and weekday lunches, it’s easy to make and packed with flavor!
As winter winds down and temperatures start to rise, I can't help but get excited for spring. While I love the comfort of cozy soups and warming cups of cocoa that fall and winter bring, the arrival of spring is always a welcome change.
Broccoli and radishes are some of my favorite vegetables to add to salads at this time of year—the perfect bridge between hearty winter fare and lighter, warm-weather meals. To balance their crisp freshness, I’ve paired them with French lentils to create a satisfying and hearty vegan lentil salad.
Which Lentils Are Best for Salads?
When it comes to lentil salads, French green lentils (also known as lentilles du Puy) are the best. Unlike other lentils, they hold their shape when cooked and don’t get mushy which makes them ideal for salads!
In this salad, I've also included a generous amount of fresh chopped parsley and scallions, along with a zesty lemon-olive oil dressing. The lightly steamed broccoli and crisp radishes provide a lovely contrast to the hearty lentils, while a hint of cumin and cayenne adds earthy warmth and a touch of heat.
Here’s what you’ll need to make it:
Ingredient Notes:
(Here are a few notes about the ingredients you’ll need for this recipe. As always find the full list of ingredients and directions in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.)
- Lentils: French green lentils are perfect for this salad, but black lentils are a good alternative as well.
- Fresh Herbs: You’ll need flat-leaf parsley, scallions, and chives for lots of fresh flavor.
- Radishes: Radishes add crunch and a bright peppery flavor.
- Broccoli: Broccoli adds some green and works well with the lentils and radishes.
- Seeds: I love using a mix of sunflower and pumpkin seeds for added crunch, but feel free to use your favorite seeds.
- Dressing: Fresh lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil, ground cumin, and cayenne pepper make up the dressing, bringing tang and spice to the salad.
How to Make the Broccoli Lentil Salad:
(Here’s a quick breakdown of the process. Find the full directions in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.)
- Start by cooking the lentils until just tender, then rinse them in cold water and drain them thoroughly.
- While the lentils cook, steam the broccoli until crisp-tender.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, salt, cumin, cayenne pepper, and garlic to create the dressing.
- Add the cooked lentils, chopped herbs, radishes, and steamed broccoli to the bowl with the dressing and toss everything together.
- Top with your chosen seeds and serve!
This vegan lentil salad makes the perfect weekday lunch. It’s easy to prepare, portable, and can be dressed ahead of time. Plus, it’s ideal for picnics, making it a great option to enjoy all spring and summer.
More Lentil Salads:
Vegan Broccoli Lentil Salad
This vegan lentil salad filled with broccoli, radishes and lots of fresh herbs is perfect for picnics or weekday lunches!
Ingredients
- 1 medium head of broccoli cut into florets
- 2 Tablespoons/30ml 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
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 bunch of flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
- 2 scallions, finely chopped
- 2 Tablespoons chives, finely chopped
- 1 bunch of radishes, finely chopped
- ¼ cup/28g sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds, lightly toasted
Instructions
- Place broccoli in a steamer basket over a small saucepan of water. Bring to a simmer; cover and steam for 3 minutes (until crisp-tender). Cool, coarsely chop broccoli and set aside.
- Whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, salt, cumin, cayenne pepper and garlic in a large bowl. Set aside.
- Rinse lentils 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 (follow package directions), be careful not to overcook. Drain and remove garlic and bay leaves. Rinse in plenty of cold filtered water and drain thoroughly.
- Add drained lentils, chopped herbs, radishes and broccoli to the dressing and toss to combine. Top with toasted sunflower and pumpkin seeds and serve.
Notes
Dietary Info:
Gluten-Free, Grain-Free, Vegetarian, Vegan, Dairy-Free, Egg-Free, Nut-Free
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount 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.
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.
Mindy says
I love this dish! I substituted asparagus for the broccoli because I had it in the fridge. I will definitely be adding this to my list of go to salads!
Kankana says
It already started to feel warm and spring just started. Loving that tabbouleh salad, simple and quick. Just the thing I need on weekdays.
The Food Hunter says
This sounds wonderful...pinning so I can make it soon
Raia Todd says
That looks like a delicious salad! I've never had tabbouleh before, but I would love to try this!
Anna says
I didn't know that the green lentils will hold up better. Mine are mushy by the time I am done cooking. Now I know what to do with my radishes!
Emily @ Recipes to Nourish says
This recipe is so special!!! I love all of those vibrant herbs! Plus the radishes!!! They're one of my favorites.