Healthy Lentil Salad
A few years ago I had a delicious green lentil salad from a cute little Italian shop in a small town not far from mine. It was called a Mediterranean Lentil Salad and it was so delicious! I wanted to re-create this super healthy lentil salad it and I was very pleasantly surprised when I did so on the first try (isn’t that always the best?). I’m excited to finally share it. I love the delicious lemon paired with Italian seasonings. The soft lentils contrast nicely with the raw, crunchy veggies.
This healthy lentil salad can be eaten as a light meal, such as for a light lunch, or eaten as a side. It’s excellent for picnics and potlucks, and you can make a larger batch of it to serve many people! It would be so delicious as a side to a sandwich and it’s the perfect meal-prep friendly lunch that can be packed to take to work or school. It’s naturally gluten free, vegan, and oil-free. If you’d like, you could add a touch of organic olive oil to the dressing, but it’s not necessary.
Enjoy this simple healthy lentil salad recipe and keep up those New Year’s resolutions!
Healthy Lentil Salad
Ingredients
Green Lentil Salad
- 1 cup green lentils dry
- 1 ½ cup red bell peppers finely chopped
- 1 cup carrot shredded
- 1/4 cup celery finely chopped
- 2 garlic clove minced
- 2 green onion finely chopped
- 3/4 cup fresh parsley finely chopped
Dressing
- 1/4 cup + 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp maple syrup or to taste
- 3/4 tsp Italian seasoning
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
Instructions
- Bring 2 cups of water to a boil in a small sauce pot. Rinse and drain the lentils, then add them to the boiling water. Cook for 30-35 minutes or until tender. Drain off any excess liquid and set aside.
- While the lentils are cooking, prepare the rest of the dish. Add the bell peppers, carrots, celery, garlic, green onion, and parsley to a medium sized bowl.
- Whisk together the dressing ingredients in a small bowl and adjust seasonings to taste if necessary. Set aside.
- When the lentils are done cooking, add them to the bowl along with the dressing and mix everything to combine.
- Refrigerate before serving to chill and allow to flavours to deepen. Enjoy!
For personal meal plans or nutrition advice from a Registered Holistic Nutritionist, you can contact me at kathyrhn@gmail.com
Looks amazing! I am going to make this… maybe even today. I have shared this on some of my FB pages to do with healthy living. Keep these coming. They are AWESOME!!
Thanks so much Maggie enjoy!! <3