This Balsamic Lentil Salad is healthy, vibrant, and chocked full of hearty lentils and crunchy vegetables. It all gets tossed in a balsamic vinaigrette dressing, giving this salad maximum flavor!
With spring officially here, it’s time to bring out the all-purpose salads that are perfect accompaniments to any brunch, shower, BBQ, picnic, or potluck spread. AND, at the same time, they can double as a side dish for weeknight dinners or a quick, on-the-go lunch.
The sign of a good salad in our house? We skip the plate altogether and with a fork in hand, go right for the Tupperware container in the fridge. Normally, this style of eating might get you in trouble (potion control, schmortion control), but luckily for us, this salad is full of healthy ingredients!
This Balsamic Lentil Salad is the ultimate all-purpose spring and summer salad because it’s all about that fresh crunch from the chopped cucumber and sweet red bell pepper. Together with the lovely little pulses we call lentils and the rich and tangy balsamic dressing, this salad is hearty, tangy, and light all at the same time.
How to Make the Balsamic Lentil Salad
The thought of a lentil salad might seem intimidating. But as mentioned before, lentils are just like tiny beans that you can easily cook on the stove. Plus, check out the simple ingredient list…cucumber, red pepper, onion, lentils, and dressing. Once the lentils are cooked, this salad comes together quickly. Even better, this one’s customizable. Keep the lentils as the base and add your favorite chopped, raw veggies. Carrots, celery, zucchini, cauliflower, broccoli…so many options! And one thing I might add next time around? Feta cheese. Or Parmesan cheese. Or gorgonzola. Goat cheese, maybe? You get the picture.
Let this easy Balsamic Lentil Salad be your go-to dish for spring and summer! Need a dinner idea for this week? Try the salad alongside this Roasted Salmon with Tomato Basil Relish, this Peach Caprese Grilled Chicken, or this Stuffed Hawaiian Grilled Chicken.
Looking for more spring and summer salad ideas? Check out these options:
- Greek Quinoa Salad
- Asian Kohlrabi Salad
- Strawberry Cucumber Caprese Salad
- Zucchini Ribbon Salad with Corn and Tomatoes
- Spiralized Spaghetti Salad
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A healthy and vibrant salad chocked full of hearty lentils and crunchy vegetables and tossed in a balsamic vinaigrette dressing.
Ingredients
Salad:
- 3 ½ cups cooked lentils
- 1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
- 1 cucumber, diced
- ¼ red onion or shallot, finely chopped
- 1/3 cup fresh chopped parsley
Dressing:
- ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup
- ½ clove garlic, minced
- Dash of salt and pepper
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the lentils, bell pepper, cucumber, onion, and parsley.
- Combine all the dressing ingredients in a blender and mix until smooth. Alternatively, you can whisk the ingredients together in a bowl.
- Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to combine.
Hi! I'm Krista, a self-proclaimed vegetable lover who likes to put a creative spin on healthy cooking. Here you'll find a variety of lightened up recipes using fresh and wholesome ingredients! 
This looks fantastic – and so fresh! I love lentils but am sometimes hard-pressed for new recipes to try with them. Yum!
Thanks so much! Yes, this one’s definitely a good dish for spring!
Which lentils did you use here?
Hi Tanya, I used green lentils.
Hi, just looking for a simple lentil recipe & this sounds perfect, would it work with red lentils? Thnx kim
Hi Kim, I haven’t tried the recipe with red lentils. I’ve only used red lentils in soups and stews and have noticed that they cook down really easily and become mushy, which is great for a soup, but not so much for a salad. I’d recommend using brown or green lentils. Thanks for the comment!
Delicious and quick to make!
So great to hear Ann! Thanks for the comment!
Great recipe!!
Thanks so much Kelsey!
Hi, does this freeze well?
Hi, I haven’t tried freezing this salad. My guess is that the lentils might have a mushy texture when defrosted. Thanks for the question!
Thank you for this yummy recipe. It was quick and easy and I loved the dressing.
★★★★★
You’re so welcome! I’m happy you enjoyed it!
The dressing ratios are way off- 1/4 cup of vinegar to 1/2 tbsp of olive oil? Plus a teaspoon of mustard?? It was way too acidic! Did I miss something?
Hi Sarah, nope you didn’t miss anything. I generally like my dressings really tangy and acidic so I lessen the amount of oil. But I definitely appreciate that others may not prefer the taste so no issues with adjusting the amounts to your liking. Thanks for the comment!
I love this fresh new take on a cold salad!! It tastes so good! Who knew lentils tasted good cold. 😀
Right?! I’m so glad you liked it Melanie!
I was looking for a lentil salad to prep on Sunday to take to work for lunch. This is such a simple recipe but the taste is bold and refreshing. The only deviation to the recipe that I made was substituting the maple syrup with orange blossom honey only because I don’t usually have maple syrup on hand.
Thank you for sharing!
Orange blossom honey?! Sounds amazing! Thanks so much for giving my recipe a try and reporting back!
This is now my go-to lentil salad recipe. So easy to put together and so refreshing. I like adding avocado also. It’s easy to make and it packs well to take to work for lunch.
Donna, I’m so happy you’re enjoying the recipe! I bet the avocado is delicious in this salad. I’m going to add that in next time I make it! Thank you so much for the kind comment!
Great salad. I would add one caveat, cook the lentils al dente. They are too soft when fully cooked.
★★★★★
Great tip Elisabeth! I will update the recipe with that information.
Great recipe! I didn’t have bell pepper so I chopped some carrot in the food processor and it worked out very well.
I used the steamed lentils from Trader Joe’s so it was even quicker. It’s going on regular rotation, thanks!
Thanks so much for the comment! So happy you enjoyed the recipe! Great tip on using the steamed lentils!
Really tasty and healthy recipe! I cooked my Lentils in vegetable broth in my instant pot, they turned out great. They had more flavor than cooking them in water.
★★★★★
Thanks for the comment! I have yet to try out lentils in the Instant Pot. So happy it worked out!