Mediterranean Black Lentil Salad
by Katie Webster
September 1, 2021 (updated 5/12/23) Jump To Recipe
This Mediterranean Black Lentil Salad with cucumbers, spinach and feta is super easy to whip together. Just toss the lentils together with a little dressing and veggies, and you have the perfect summer side dish or gluten-free vegetarian main course.
I originally shared this recipe on June 21, 2016. I have updated some of the text to share it with you again today.
Why We Love This Black Lentil Salad Recipe
This recipe is a nutritious and so so delicious way to cook with lentils. The fresh vegetables, black lentils and Walnut Balsamic Vinaigrette are a satisfying and tasty combination for a side dish or vegetarian main course.
This recipe comes to you on the pages of Healthy Seasonal Recipes from my friend Sara Haas. She is both a classically trained chef and a Registered Dietitian.
Her recipe for French Lentil Salad with Spinach and Feta Cheese was the inspiration for this one and is is exactly the kind of salad that ranks high on my list of recipes to make!
I also knew that would be the perfect recipe because I have had black lentils in my pantry since I was at Eataly in Chicago. I’d just been waiting for inspiration for them.
What Are Black Lentils?
- Black lentils, sometimes called beluga lentils, named for their glossy caviar-like appearance, are a small variety of lentils with a firm texture similar to French de Pouilly lentils.
- They are black and shiny when raw and retain their inky black color when cooked.
- They are perfect for salads and meal prep recipes because they do not break down like brown or red lentils.
Ingredients For This Black Lentil Salad
- 1 cup dry black lentils, sorted
- 2 cups sliced spinach
- 1 cup chopped parsley
- 1 cup diced seeded cucumber
- ½ cup diced red bell pepper
- ½ cup walnut balsamic vinaigrette
- 1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
How to Make Black Lentil Salad
I know I say all my recipes are easy, but this one takes the cake.
- You’ll first need to cook the black lentils until just tender (they’ll soak up the dressing as they sit in your fridge, so no need to cook them any longer).
- Drain the lentils and rinse them with cold water so the can be added directly into the salad without wilting the spinach and parsley.
- While the lentils are cooking, chop the parsley and spinach, and dice the cucumber and bell pepper.
- Blend the balsamic walnut vinaigrette.
- Once you’ve drained the lentils, add them to a large bowl with the herbs and veggies, feta and pour on the balsamic vinaigrette dressing.
- Stir everything together or refrigerate up to three hours.
Expert Tips and FAQs for this Recipe
Black lentils can be purchased in large supermarkets, gourmet stores, health food stores and online. Look for them in the bulk department or with the other dried legumes.
Black lentils have an earthy, peppery and slightly bitter taste similar to French green lentils. Their flavor pairs well with acidic, salty and smoky elements.
The best way to cook black lentils is to sort them when they are dry by removing any debris and small pebbles. Then place in a medium saucepan and cover generously with water. Do not salt the water or the lentils will become tough. Place the pot over high heat and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to maintain the gentle simmer, then cook until they are just tender, about 22 minutes. Drain well.
Black lentils are very nutritious and high in folate which researchers believe may help play a role in preventing Alzheimer’s and is an important nutrient for expectant mothers. They are also rich in protein, fiber and iron making them an excellent plant-based ingredient.
How to Store Black Lentil Salad
For best results serve this salad within a few hours of making it. But leftovers are still yummy even if the spinach and parsley wilt a bit! Keep it in the fridge for up to five days in a tightly sealed container.
The cucumber will let off some of its liquid, so you will want to serve this salad with a slotted spoon.
More Recipes To Try
- I am super proud of this Lentil Soup Recipe. I don’t take calling it “the best” lightly! It really is!
- This French lentils with bacon recipe is a favorite here. We love it with salmon or on its own!
- This Celery Root and Lentil salad is from a favorite cookbook and has an interesting anchovy, garlic and herb dressing.
- This recipe for individual Vegetarian Shepherd’s pies is made with lentils instead of beef or lamb and is topped with creamy mashed butternut squash.
- If you need more bean salads in your life (who desn’t?) then this Mexican bean salad is great as is this bean salad with curry and this black bean and mango salad with quinoa too!
- Speaking of bean salads, this Chickpea Salad with cucumbers, peppers and parsley will definitely be a new favorite! It is mine!
- If you are looking for some more salad recipes to try this Overnight Kale Caesar is a great make-ahead recipe. We love this Green Salad with Chicken, Strawberries, and Goat Cheese during the summer. And this warm One Pot Vegan Quinoa and Arugula Salad is great when arugula is in season.
Thanks so much for reading! If you are new here, you may want to sign up for my email newsletter to get a free weekly menu plan and the latest recipes right to your inbox. If you make this recipe, please come back and leave a star rating and review. I would love to hear what you thought!
Happy Cooking! ~Katie
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Mediterranean Black Lentil Salad
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 6 cups 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Here’s a healthy gluten-free lentil side salad for the summer. It has Mediterranean flavors with cucumbers, feta, spinach and red pepper. I used black lentils, but French Green lentils would also work great.
Ingredients
- 1 cup dry black lentils, sorted
- 2 cups sliced spinach
- 1 cup chopped parsley
- 1 cup diced seeded cucumber
- ½ cup diced red bell pepper
- ½ cup walnut balsamic vinaigrette
- 1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Place lentils in a medium saucepan. Generously cover lentils with cold water and bring to a simmer over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low to maintain a steady simmer, and cook until just tender, 20 to 26 minutes. Drain and rinse under cool running water. Transfer the lentils to a large mixing bowl.
- Add spinach, parsley, cucumber, bell pepper, vinaigrette, feta, salt and pepper and toss to coat. Serve immediately or chill.
Notes
Adapted from Sarah Haas RD
Lentils
If you cannot find black lentils substitute French De Pouilly green lentils instead.
Leftovers
For best results serve this salad within a few hours of making it. But leftovers are still yummy even if the spinach and parsley wilt a bit! Keep it in the fridge for up to five days in a tightly sealed container.
The cucumber will let off some of its liquid, so you will want to serve this salad with a slotted spoon.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Salad
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 133
- Sugar: 7 g
- Fat: 2 g
- Saturated Fat: 1 g
- Carbohydrates: 24 g
- Fiber: 9 g
- Protein: 9 g
Keywords: black lentil salad, lentil salad, mediterranean lentil salad
Katie Webster
Katie Webster studied art and photography at Skidmore College and is a graduate of the New England Culinary Institute. She has been a professional recipe developer since 2001 when she first started working in the test kitchen at EatingWell magazine. Her recipes have been featured in numerous magazines including Shape, Fitness, Parents and several Edible Communities publications among others. Her cookbook, Maple {Quirk Books} was published in 2015. She launched Healthy Seasonal Recipes in 2009. She lives in Vermont with her husband, two teenage daughters and two yellow labs. In her free time, you can find her at the gym, cooking, stacking firewood, making maple syrup, and tending to her overgrown perennial garden.
This is so good! I make it very often, with a few additions. I cook 1 cup (dry) of farro and add it, along with a cup of dried cranberries and a cup of chopped toasted walnuts. I rinse both the farro and the lentils after cooking ( and before), and let them drain well. I also salt the chopped cucumbers and let them drain about an hour before adding them. Delicious!
★★★★★
Wow I really liked this salad. I did make a couple substitutions because of what I could find at our grocery store. I used the French Green Lentils because I couldn’t find Black Lentils. I couldn’t find Walnut Oil, so I used half olive oil and half avocado oil as was suggested. What was lucky for me was I had a jar of Walnut Dijon Mustard. That did give some great walnut flavor. The dressing is super good!!! I will keep looking for Walnut Oil, but the walnut Djon mustard worked great. Thank you for a wonderful recipe.
★★★★★
We had leftover black lentils cooked a few days ago. Teenage daughter & I decided to try this. Love the combo! We added chopped grape tomatoes and simplified the vinaigrette to eat in a jiffy. We hope to have it again tomorrow!
I am so glad you found this recipe! Thanks for commenting.
So simple and easy to make. Tastes even better the next day
★★★★★
Thank you Andre! I appreciate it and thanks for leaving a star rating and review.
So delicious and easy! I love how nutritious it is and that my daughters and husband love it just as much as I do!
★★★★★
I am so glad you liked this one Janet! Yay! Thank you so much for coming back to review and rate. It is much appreicated!
We really enjoyed this salad! It was tasty and beluga lentils are wonderful. I used baby kale instead of spinach and we liked that change.
★★★★★
I am happy to hear you liked this recipe! Thank you!
Very good, easy, and flexible. I have made it several times. It is excellent as is but you can also make substitutions using what is in season or items that need to be used up. Since it’s summer and my garden has been exploding, I have been using at least 2x’s as many veggies as listed. The version I am eating right now has the addition of corn, kale instead of spinach, and 2x’s as much peppers and cucumbers. Great recipe!
★★★★★
That sounds wonderful!!
My husband loves this! And I love that it is so easy to make!
★★★★★
I am so glad to hear it!
I always forget about black lentils, I cannot wait to try this!
★★★★★
I just had black lentils last week at a restaurant, and I was like, Oh I forgot about these! So you’re not alone.
I adored lentils and this salad was a terrific, delicious way to enjoy them!! This was perfect for my lunches last week!
★★★★★
Awesome! I am so glad you liked this!
This sounds so tasty. For some reason I struggle with cooking lentils – they never get quite as tender as I would prefer.
★★★★★
Thank you Jennifer. I find that some lentils take longer than others. It has to do with how old they are. And I don’t add any salt to the water until the are almost tender.
Love everything about this! Looks so fresh and delicious!
★★★★★
Thank you Lindsay!
Black lentils and walnut go so good together – this was amazing!
★★★★★
The combo works!
Walnut Balsamic dressing sounds terrific on here!
Thanks so much Cindy. So glad you popped over for this round of the Redux. Have a great day.
Katie – I am so honored you chose me for this! And you totally crack me up! I knew I liked you after you brilliantly claimed that Milli Vanilli were “hot.” Hilarious! And you did, in fact, help me with my camera purchase and my world has changed for the better since learning about that little magnifying feature on my camera! Bless you for that! 😉 You’re pretty amazing yourself! Keep up the awesome photography and fabulous recipes! You’re my hero! 😉
Aww hugs! Oh my goodness, I forgot about that conversation about Milli Vanilli. I think we were the only two who were old enough to remember them. Ha ha. Thank you so much my dear. Glad to have this recipe in my wheelhouse now. It is a keeper.