During the summer months, we really appreciate easy meals that need very little cooking. This Mediterranean Black Lentil Salad with Feta is exactly that. Black lentils get tossed in a simple vinaigrette—then kale, bell peppers, shallots, and feta join the party. This salad tastes fresh, tangy, salty, and refreshing. And it's a good source of protein too.
You can make this salad for dinner and keep extras for lunch the next day. There's no delicate herbs or watery cucumber to worry about. This salad recipe can be meal prepped for busy work lunches—or bring it as a vegetarian or vegan option for picnics and barbecues.
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Why you'll love this recipe
- Easy to make: This recipe comes together quickly. While the lentils are cooking, all you need to do is whisk together the dressing and chop a few veggies. Then, simply combine everything in a bowl and enjoy!
- Healthy and flavorful: This vegetarian (or vegan) recipe is packed with healthy veggies, protein-rich lentils, and a light olive oil and vinegar dressing. Not only is this recipe healthy, but it's also bursting with flavor!
- Make ahead friendly: This salad is made with black lentils and sturdy vegetables that hold up well in the fridge. In fact, this salad is even tastier the next day, since everything has had time to marinate.
- Perfect for summer: Lentil salads make a refreshing and satisfying summer lunch or dinner. Meal prep this salad for work weekday lunches, outdoor picnics, or barbecues.
Ingredients and substitutes
This Black Lentil Salad with Feta is bursting with Mediterranean inspired flavors. The recipe uses mostly pantry ingredients—and sturdy vegetables that keep well if you make the salad in advance.
- Black (Beluga) Lentils: These lentils are perfect for this salad because they're mild in flavor and hold their shape well! If you can't find them, you can substitute French Green lentils instead (see recipe notes for more details).
- Bell Pepper: We used red bell pepper, but an orange or yellow bell pepper works too!
- Feta Cheese: If you want to make this dish vegan, you can swap in your favorite vegan feta cheese.
- Olives: We love adding green olives to this lentil salad. It adds a salty, briny pop of flavor. But, if you don't like olives you can just leave them out.
Find the recipe card below for the complete recipe, including all ingredients and instructions.
How to make
This Mediterranean Black Lentil Salad makes a healthy weeknight dinner. Here's how to make this easy lentil recipe:
Find the recipe card below for the complete recipe, including all ingredients and instructions.
Tips
- Do pick over the lentils before cooking: Sometimes a small rock can accidentally make it into a bag of lentils. While that's unlikely, it is still worth quickly picking over the lentils before cooking them. You wouldn't want to bite down on a pebble!
- Do season the lentils while they cook: Some people insist that you shouldn't add salt to lentils before they're fully cooked. But, we don't agree—and neither does Serious Eats! Salt helps to season the lentils evenly and testing has shown that salt helps the lentils hold their shape. In this recipe, the cooking liquid contains salt from the vegetable stock, which helps infuse the lentils with even more flavor.
- Don't overcook the lentils: You want the lentils to be cooked until tender, but not mushy. So, keep an eye on the lentils after 15 minutes, because every batch's cook time can vary slightly.
- This recipe can easily be made vegan / dairy-free: Just use your favorite vegan feta—or omit it entirely.
While this lentil salad is satisfying on its own, it would also be delicious served with Air Fryer Pita Chips and a creamy dip—such as: Greek Yogurt Onion Dip, The Best Vegan Tzatziki, or Creamy White Bean Dip.
Frequently asked questions
We absolutely love using black lentils for this recipe. But if you can't find them, you could substitute French Green lentils (Lentilles du Puy) instead. French Green lentils also hold their shape well after cooking. But, you'd need to budget budget about 10 to 15 minutes of extra cooking time because they take longer to cook than black lentils.
Pro tip: Pay attention to the labels at the store. French Green lentils are dark green—and different than standard "green lentils". Standard green lentils become much softer after cooking, so they aren't recommended as a substitute in this recipe.
Cover and refrigerate any extra Black Lentil Salad for up to 3 days.
We recommend enjoying this Black Lentil Salad either at room temperature or cold. There's no need to heat it up.
Other meal prep salad recipes
- Vegetarian Lentil Nicoise Salad: A delicious vegetarian take on a Nicoise salad. Crisp green beans, potatoes, lentils, eggs, and crunchy radishes are drizzled with a fresh lemon dill dressing.
- Curry Lentil Salad: This flavorful salad is made with a quick curry vinaigrette, crisp apples, toasted cashews, on a bed of creamy Greek yogurt.
- Tortellini Pesto Salad: This recipe is a reader favorite! Cheesy tortellini tossed with pesto and fresh veggies. Perfect for dinner and lunch the next day.
- Halloumi Couscous Salad with Lemon: This vibrant dish comes together fast. Featuring seared halloumi cheese, fresh herbs, and colorful veggies.
- Roasted Beet Salad with Labneh: This stunning salad features roasted beets, creamy labneh, and a bright citrus ginger dressing. The perfect, not-at-all boring salad for entertaining.
📖 Recipe
Black Lentil Salad with Feta
Ingredients
Seasoned Lentils
- 2 cups dried black lentils (picked over and rinsed, see note 1)
- 4 cups vegetable broth (plus water to top-up if needed, see note 2)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
Vinaigrette
- 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 2 teaspoons honey (see note 3)
- 1½ teaspoon cumin
- ⅓ teaspoon dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt (more to taste if needed)
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Other
- 2 cups finely chopped kale (stems removed)
- 1 red bell pepper (or orange or yellow)
- 1 large shallot, thinly sliced (about ½ cup, see note 4)
- ½ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
- ⅓ cup green olives, pitted and chopped (optional)
- 5.3 oz feta cheese (about ¾ cup, see note 3)
Instructions
- Cook lentils: Add lentils, vegetable stock, and garlic to a medium saucepan. Cover partially with a lid and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Once boiling, reduce heat to maintain a simmer. Cook until the lentils are tender, but not mushy, about 20 to 30 minutes. (Cook times vary, so check early and often). If at any point there's not enough liquid for the lentils to be moving freely, add a splash or two of water as needed. Once lentils are cooked, drain off excess cooking liquid.
- Make vinaigrette: In a large bowl, whisk together olive oil, red wine vinegar, honey, cumin, dijon mustard, salt, and pepper until emulsified.
- Combine: Add the lentils to the bowl, toss to coat. Add kale, bell pepper shallot, parsley, and olives (if using). Toss to mix. Taste and add a bit more salt if needed (remember, the feta is salty too). Crumble the feta over the salad and serve.
Notes
- Black Lentils: Also called Beluga Lentils. It's not uncommon for different batches of dried lentils to have notably different cook times. So, check early and often to avoid overcooking. Drain the lentils immediately once they are pleasantly tender—and do not cook them until they are soft or falling apart.
- Lentil cooking liquid: In this recipe, the vegetable stock serves as the main cooking liquid for the lentils. (It infuses the lentils with more flavor than water). Depending on how much water evaporates during the cooking process, you may need to add more liquid to the pot. If at any point you notice the lentils don't have enough liquid to freely move, add another splash or two of water.
- Vegan option: Substitute the honey for agave or maple syrup (adjust to taste). Use your favorite vegan feta.
- Shallot: 1 large shallot = 2 medium shallots = about ½ cup. If you don't have shallots, you could substitute an equal amount of thinly sliced red onion instead.
- Storage tips: Cover and refrigerate lentil salad for up to 3 days. This lentil salad can be enjoyed at room temperature or cold.
Stacey says
Made this for a dinner with friends tonight. Everyone loved it!
bri says
Hi Stacey! Woohoo, we're thrilled to hear you + your friends enjoyed this lentil salad. Thanks so much for sharing!
Mel H says
This was delish! I made it for dinner and will be happily enjoying leftovers for lunch tomorrow. Adding this to the meal prep rotation! Thanks!
bri says
So happy to hear that Mel! Glad to hear you enjoyed this lentil salad! Have a great rest of your week!