Packed with fresh Mediterranean ingredients, tender lentils, and a flavorful citrus dressing, this Mediterranean lentil salad is quick to throw together and sure to be a lunch favorite!
And when I say lunch favorite, what I really mean is that you might never eat anything else for lunch again.
We have a LOT of Mediterranean-style salads on the website, but this one is just doing it’s own little thing with hearty lentils and a good drizzle of citrus vinaigrette.
It’s one of those salads that will keep you going all afternoon, plus packs in a good amount of protein!
We’re loading it up with just enough veggies for it to be super healthy and then of course going crazy with the fresh feta.
This Mediterranean Lentil Salad features…
- Tender protein-packed lentils
- A rainbow of fresh Mediterranean ingredients including cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, kalamata olives, red peppers, feta, and red onion
- Less than an hour to make and perfect for healthy meal prepping
Making the Mediterranean Lentil Salad
(scroll down to the bottom of the post for the full recipe)
Ingredients You Will Need
- Lentils
- Bay leaf
- Cucumber
- Cherry tomatoes
- Red onion
- Feta cheese
- Kalamata olives
- Roasted red peppers
- Oregano
- Mint
- Dijon mustard
- Orange juice
- Lemon juice
- Honey
- Olive oil
Choosing Your Lentils
This recipe will work great with a variety of lentils! Green, brown, or black will all work great – see below for cook time adjustments depending on the lentil you go with.
- Green lentils: simmer 18-20 minutes.
- Brown lentils: simmer 20-25 minutes
- Black lentils: simmer 25-30 minutes
Tips for Perfect Lentil Salad
- Don’t overcook lentils – ideally you want the lentils tender, not mushy. Start checking them around 15 minutes for doneness for best results.
- Cut vegetables in uniform size – uniform cuts will make the salad easier to eat.
- Allow salad to sit in dressing – the more time the salad has to marinate in the dressing, the more flavorful it will be!
Recipe Variations
Want to make a different version of this salad? Try these ideas!
- Add meat – cubed cooked chicken or bacon would be great meaty additions.
- Try different veggies – peas, artichoke hearts, avocado, spinach, or arugula would all work perfect in this salad.
- Use a different dressing – any Greek dressing or an Italian dressing would work great in place of the homemade dressing.
Make Ahead Instructions
Follow these instructions for easy make-ahead options!
- Cook lentils – the lentils may be cooked and stored in fridge up to 6 days.
- Prepare vegetables – chop the vegetables and store in fridge up to 4 days.
- Make the dressing – the dressing may be stored in the fridge up to 6 days.
Once the salad is assembled it stores well in the fridge for about 4 days.
This lentil salad will quickly become a keeper! The fresh veggies and lentils are bursting with flavor from the tangy citrus vinaigrette and it tastes even better the next day!
You’re about to win the lunch salad game for real.
Save this recipe using the ‘save to recipe box’ button below. If you make it, please let us know! Leave a comment + star rating below, or take a photo and tag it on Instagram with #wholeandheavenlyoven.
Watch this salad made step-by-step on Google web stories.
More healthy, colorful salads you will want to try next!
Mediterranean Lentil Salad
This recipe may included paid links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn a commission from qualifying purchases.
Ingredients
Salad
- 1 cup dry lentils (green, brown, or black all work – see blog post for more details)
- 4 cups water
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 medium cucumber, cut into 1/4-in cubes
- 1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
- 1-1/2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1/2 cup kalamata olives, halved
- 1/2 cup diced roasted red peppers
- 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 2 tablespoons fresh mint, minced
Citrus Dressing
- 2 tablespoons freshly-squeezed orange juice
- 2 tablespoons freshly-squeezed lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon honey or agave nectar
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Place lentils in a fine-mesh sieve and rinse well under cold water, removing any imperfect or bad lentils.
- Place lentils, water, and bay leaf in a medium pot. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and allow to cook 18-25 minutes until lentils are tender, but not mushy.
- Drain lentils, discard bay leaf, and allow lentils to cool in a large bowl in fridge.
- Once lentils are cooled, add cucumber, red onion, cherry tomatoes, olives, roasted red peppers, feta, oregano, and mint to bowl and toss well until combined. Set aside for a moment.
Citrus Dressing
- In a small bowl, whisk orange juice, lemon juice, Dijon, and honey until smooth. Slowly begin drizzling in olive oil until dressing is smooth. Season dressing with salt and pepper to taste.
- Drizzle dressing over salad and toss until evenly coated. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste if needed. Store salad in refrigerator until ready to serve. Enjoy!
Deb says
Wonderful salad. I enjoyed the herbs and that absolutely fabulous dressing.
Sarah says
Love to hear that, Deb! Thanks for taking the time to leave a review. 🙂
Monika says
Fantastic recipe! I will absolutely make this again! I used reduced fat feta and omitted all but 1 TB of the olive oil and it was still wonderful. Great flavor!
Sarah says
So great to hear, Monika! Enjoy. 🙂
Julie says
I have someone in my family allergic to dijon mustard. Is ot crucial or is there a sub?
Sarah says
You can skip the Dijon! It won’t affect the flavor of the salad too much.