Lentil Salad can be an easy answer to “What for dinner?” question. And it is full of flavors and textures.

Lentils can be used not only for making stews and soups. You can also make interesting and healthy salads with it, for example, as per this recipe. This lentil-bean salad is ideal for a quick lunch or even for a picnic. It has very simple ingredients, and it doesn’t require cooking, as we use canned lentils & beans. So, this recipe is a great option for lazy days.

You will need:

• brown lentils – I recommend tinned lentils as they are cooked to perfection and ideal for lentil salads. When buying tinned lentils I always make sure there are no preservatives added. Drain and rinse them well to remove the excess of salt.
• kidney beans – You can use both, canned and cooked from scratch. I always cook plenty of beans at once and then keep them in zip-lock plastic bags in my freezer. When needed, just pour the boiling water over the frozen beans and let them stand for a couple of minutes. Drain. And use your beans in salads, soups, etc.
• bell pepper – Use your favorite color: green, yellow or red. Do not omit pepper as it gives juiciness to the salad.
• smoked chicken – I used vegan pieces of “chicken”, and it turned out just delicious.
• raw almonds – You can use cashew nuts or walnuts. Try sunflower seeds if you want the lentil salad nut-free.
• green onions – green onions add a touch of spring to the lentil salad.
• kalamata olives;
• lemon juice and extra virgin olive oil;
• fresh mint – Use any fresh herbs that you like: dill, parsley, coriander.

Mint combined with lemon zest gives the lentil salad a delicious taste of freshness; lightly salted olives add a twist to the salad; it has crunchiness from the almonds, and smoked chicken takes the salad to another level (vegan chicken pieces in my case).

Health Benefits of Lentil Salad

Lentils are one of the most nutrient-dense legumes. They contain almost no fat but are very rich in protein and fiber, as well as iron, and manganese.

Red kidney beans are great source of potassium, a mineral that promotes healthy blood pressure.

Bell peppers along with fresh lemon juice are good sources of vitamin C, which is known to help the body detox and burn fat.

Almonds are an ideal source of healthy fats, vitamin E, and fiber.

Fresh herbs are packed with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. They contain enzymes that help break down fats, proteins and carbohydrates. In addition, it contains healthy fiber, which supports the intestinal micbiome and normalizes digestion.

P.S. More about the benefits of legumes, nuts and greens read in the blog post My Top Super Foods to Consider for Your Daily Diet.

My family fell in love with this salad from the first spoon 😊 Hope you will love it as well!

Try my other easy and tasty salad recipes:

Black-eye Bean Salad for Lunch

Quinoa Salad with Chickpeas & Cashew

Rice Salad with Roasted Carrot

Quinoa Salad with Spinach & Feta