Cold Lentil Salad In 9 Easy-to-try Recipes

2023 Author: Lynn Laird | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-05-21 21:10

Italian pasta and rice, we're already fed up! So, we swap the starchy foods for a good portion of colorful lentil salad and say hi to sunny days! Green, blond or brown, lentils offer a variety of delicious shades, while combining the satiating and nourishing properties of whole starchy foods. In addition, they are very easy to prepare and personalize. You can serve our recipes as a starter or a main course, cold or warm, according to your preferences.

Lentil salad as a starter as well as to accompany leftover meat

Too often underestimated, lentils are packed with vitamins and minerals. Low in calories, they are strongly recommended for those of you wishing to take care of your figure. Rich in iron and protein, lentils make a dish of choice for vegetarians and vegans. They are also an excellent source of fiber and are therefore perfect for reviving a little lazy intestinal transit. In addition to minerals, vitamins and fiber, these legumes contain many antioxidants that help fight bad cholesterol and slow the growth of cancer cells.

Lentils can also go well with several gourmet dishes. The proof ? Meats, salmon and chicken love these legumes. However, we will dare to talk to you about salads made with lentils, cold or warm, with fruits or vegetables, in a bowl or jar.

Cold pasta and lentil salad in a jar

Do you know the salad recipe in a jar? Original, fresh and ecological, jar salad is just as delicious as it is quick to prepare. Whether it's for a picnic in the open air or to take it to work for the lunch break, our jar salad made of lentils and pasta will change your eating habits, for good of course! Here are the ingredients to get:

• 100-120 g of pasta
• 100 g green lentils
• 1 carrot
• 5 cherry tomatoes
• 1 shallot
• 1-2 clove (s) of garlic
• parsley
• 2-3 tbsp. tablespoon olive oil
• 1 C. balsamic vinegar
• salt and pepper

Preparation:

Start by cooking the pasta by putting it in a pot of salted boiling water and following the package directions. After 10 min, add the lentils and continue cooking. Watch. Remove from the heat and drain everything well. Let cool. Meanwhile, peel and chop the shallot and garlic, cut the tomatoes, peel and dice the carrots.

To make the dressing, in an airtight jar, combine the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper. Add the chopped parsley, lentils, pasta and vegetable slices. Close the jar and shake. Place in the fridge until tasting. For an express jar lentil salad, opt for canned lentils.

Summer fruit lentil salad

Fancy a sweet and savory salad tonight? In addition to being 100% vegan, this salad maintains blood sugar levels and is therefore perfect for people with diabetes. Then check out our next lentil proposal that's easy and perfectly suitable for summer weather.

Ingredients:

• 250-300 g lentils
• 1 mango
• 2 red peppers
• 1 shallot
• thyme
• parsley
• 1 small handful of hazelnuts or walnuts
• 2-3 tbsp. tablespoons of walnut or hazelnut oil
• vinegar
• salt and pepper

Preparation:

Rinse the lentils and put them in a saucepan. Cover them with a liter of water and add thyme and bay leaf. Once the water has come to a boil, cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Add salt and pepper. Meanwhile, cut the peppers into strips. Remove the lentils from the heat and put them in a bowl with the red peppers on top. Cut the mango and add it to the salad. In a small bowl, prepare the vinaigrette by mixing the hazelnut oil with the vinegar. Add the shallots, peeled and chopped beforehand, then salt and pepper. Garnish the salad with the resulting vinaigrette and serve sprinkled with nuts.

Warm lentil salad: carrot, chorizo, potato and mint leaves

Ingredients:

• 200 g cooked lentils
• 120 g chorizo
• 1 onion
• 2 tbsp. tablespoon of vinegar
• 2 tbsp. mustard
• 4 tbsp. tablespoon vegetable oil
• chive
• mint leaves (optional)

Preparation:

Start by rinsing and draining the lentils. Then peel and chop the onion. Remove the skin from the chorizo, cut it into small pieces, then brown them in a pan for 2-3 minutes. Drain the pieces by placing them on absorbent paper. Continue with the preparation of the vinaigrette by mixing the vinegar, mustard and salt in a small bowl. Stirring, add the oil and pepper. Put the lentils, onion and chorizo in a salad bowl, or other container, and sprinkle with the resulting vinaigrette. Serve warm and garnished with chives, if desired.

Lentil salad with trout slices as a single dish

Ingredients:

• 1-2 slice (s) of smoked trout
• 1 jar of trout caviar
• 1 onion
• 1 clove of garlic
• 100 g mesclun
• 200-250 g green lentils
• 1 C. tablespoon cider vinegar
• 4-5 tsp. tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 C. mustard
• salt and pepper

Preparation:

Rinse and drain the lentils. Put them in a saucepan and cover them with water. Please do not salt them. Add the carrots, cut into cubes beforehand, and cook for 30 minutes at a low boil. 5 minutes before the end of cooking, salt the lentils. Remove them from the heat and drain them.

Then rinse and wring out the mesclun. Peel and finely slice the onion. Cut the slices of trout into strips. Then prepare the vinaigrette by mixing the mustard, vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper. Place the mixed greens, lentils, chopped onion and trout slices in a large bowl and sprinkle with the vinaigrette. Before tasting, garnish with trout caviar.

Greek lentil salad: sheep cheese Salakis and smoked salmon

Ingredients:

• 1 box of prepared lentils
• 2 carrots
• 1-2 potato (s)
• diced Salakis sheep cheese
• 1-2 red onion (s)
• 2 slices of salmon marinated in lime juice
• Vinaigrette
• 1 good handful of arugula / spinach (optional)

Preparation:

First, cook the potatoes and carrots in a pot of boiling water. Let them cool and cut them into slices. Drain the lentils and put them in a bowl or salad bowl. Add the carrot and potato slices, cheese and red onion. Don't forget the marinated salmon slices. Finally, pour a drizzle of vinaigrette and serve immediately.

Warm salad with smoked bacon and lentils

Ingredients:

• 250 g green lentils
• 120 g smoked bacon
• 2 tomatoes
• 1 onion
• 4-5 tsp. tablespoon vegetable oil
• salt and pepper

Preparation:

Another recipe based on lentils for carnivores, but this time with smoked bacon. To prepare it, start by rinsing and draining the lentils. Put them in a large pot of cold water and bring them to a boil over medium heat. Cook for about 40 minutes and add salt at the end of the cooking time. At the end of this time, remove from the heat and let cool for 1 hour before mixing with the other ingredients.

In the meantime, prepare the bacon. To do this, heat a little olive oil in a small saucepan and put the bacon in it, stirring regularly until the slices of meat become quite golden. Then peel and chop the onion. Cut the tomatoes into cubes. Finally, all you have to do is put the lentils and the other ingredients in a salad bowl and season them with salt, pepper and a little olive oil. Enjoy immediately or reserve in the fridge.

Whole Wheat Berry Lentil Salad

Ingredients:

• 200 g of blond lentils
• 200 g of wheat berries
• 1 can of green beans
• 1 clove of garlic
• 1 lemon
• olive oil
• fresh and chopped parsley
• 150g feta (optional)
• arugula (optional)
• 1 apple (optional)

Preparation:

Cook the lentils, the bays according to the instructions on the packages. Drain the green beans. Squeeze the juice of two lemons and mix it in a bowl with olive oil, crushed garlic clove, salt and pepper. In plates or a large salad bowl, place the chopped parsley, wheat berries, blond lentils, green beans, a few pieces of apple and crumbled feta. Drizzle with a little lemon sauce and mix gently. If you put arugula, know that it must line the bottom of the container. Finally, season with salt and pepper and enjoy chilled. Enjoy your meal !

Tip: for avocado lovers, replace the apple with a few slices of this tropical fruit rich in good fats!

Apple, Lentil, Arugula and Feta Salad

Ingredients:

• 300 g green lentils
• 250 g of Feta
• 150 g of arugula
• 2 shallots
• Cherry tomatoes
• 3 tbsp. soup
• red wine vinegar
• 4 tbsp. tablespoon olive oil
• salt and pepper

Preparation:

Cook the lentils according to the directions on the package. Drain them and let them cool. Meanwhile, peel and chop the shallots. Macerate them in a bowl half filled with vinegar. Leave them on for 1 hour. In a bowl, place the lentils, cherry tomatoes, rinsed arugula and crumbled feta. Salt, pepper and oil. Finally add the marinated shallots. Enjoy or reserve in the fridge.

Tip: to vary the tastes, try the cheese against peeled shrimp and don't hesitate to add a few slices of pear!

Seafood and lentils for a Mediterranean salad

Ingredients:

• 100 g peeled shrimp
• 10 ml olive oil
• 200 g green lentils
• 50g chickpeas (optional)
• 10 gr of mustard
• 10 ml of vinegar
• 300-350 gr of mussels
• 1 carrot
• 1 onion
• herbs
• salt and pepper

Preparation:

Prepare the lenses according to the package directions. In the pot of boiling water, add the diced carrot, chopped onion and herbs. Normally, the cooking time is between 20 and 40 minutes. At the end of this time, drain the lentils and let them cool. Meanwhile, cook the mussels in the sauté pan over high heat. Cover them and let them open. Once drained, peel them. Next, prepare the vinaigrette by mixing the oil with the vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper. Drizzle the lentils and vegetables with vinaigrette before adding the seafood. Enjoy fresh!