Mediterranean Lentil Salad

A vibrant, hearty salad with an easy Mediterranean-inspired vinaigrette, lentils, feta and crisp vegetables. 

JUMP TO RECIPE

The development of this recipe was sponsored by Hurst's Beans. As always, all opinions are my own.

Oh my goodness, I do love me some lentils. They’re my new favorite test subject to experiment with in the kitchen.

After I made that Italian Lentil Soup with Sausage (like Carrabba's), I was HOOKED. By nature, we Southerners are legume eaters (from black-eyed peas to boiled peanuts), so I'm shocked it took me so long to start cooking with them. 

We’ve been eating them instead of rice or potatoes as side dishes with supper because they’re soooooo much better for you (high fiber, high protein) and they cook up just as fast.

I usually cook up a big batch of something on Sunday that I can pack for lunches during the week. During the cooler months, that's usually some sort of soup or stew.

But in the summertime, I like to make pasta salads. I got to thinking about how hearty those lentils are and decided to make something similar to a pasta salad but with lentils instead of noodles.

And I did! And it was awesome!!

I've been buying Hurst’s Garlic & Herb Lentils in bulk since I created the Italian Lentil Soup with Sausage (I'm obsessed) so I decided to use them since they come with a handy-dandy seasoning packet chocked full of herbs and spices.

If you can’t find Hurst’s Garlic & Herb Lentils in your local grocery store, ask for them! My grocery store now carries all sorts of products they didn’t have before simply because I asked for them.

Just ask the cashier how to request a product and s/he will point you in the right direction. My store has a list at the Customer Service desk where they notate products their customers' request.

If you don't want to wait for your grocery store to get you the Hurst’s Garlic & Herb Lentils, you can also order online!  

If you don't want to wait for that, then you can absolutely use a prepared Greek vinaigrette as your dressing and use plain lentils.

Just make sure to add some salt and seasoning when cooking the lentils. I'd aim for dried coriander, oregano, pepper and garlic!

A FEW RECIPE NOTES

• If you can’t find the Hurst’s Garlic & Herb Lentils, ask your grocer to get them for you or order online. 
• If you’re not able to get them, substitute with 2 cups uncooked lentils (cook with salt and spices to taste) then dress with 1 cup Greek salad dressing.
• Don’t skip the fresh parsley! It really gives the salad a unique freshness and it pairs so beautifully with fresh lemon juice!
• You will likely need 2 lemons to yield 1/3 cup juice. I have never been able to get more than 1/4 cup from one.
• Greek olives and/or roasted red peppers would be great additions to this salad!

MORE UNIQUE SALADS TO TRY!

CREAMY PRIMAVERA PASTA SALAD - Crisp vegetables, seasoned pasta and a creamy dressing come together in a flavor-packed salad made easy with ranch and Italian dressing mixes. 

KOREAN CUCUMBER SALAD - A crisp and punchy cucumber salad with a light, super simple dressing made of rice vinegar, soy sauce, red pepper flakes and a little sugar. 

OVERNIGHT PASTA SALAD - Absolutely THE BEST pasta salad recipe made with prepared Italian dressing AND dry Italian dressing seasoning mix marinated overnight. 

CRUNCHY ORIENTAL RAMEN SALAD - An Asian-inspired, retro classic salad recipe using coleslaw mix and dry ramen noodles with a super simple dressing made from the flavor packet! 

Recipe for Mediterranean Lentil Salad

Mediterranean Lentil Salad

Yield: 8 Servings

Author: Mandy Rivers | South Your Mouth

Prep time: 20 MinCook time: 35 MinTotal time: 55 Min

A vibrant, hearty salad with an easy Mediterranean-inspired vinaigrette, lentils, feta and crisp vegetables. 

Ingredients

Salad:

• 1 package Hurst’s Garlic & Herb Lentils (seasoning packet divided)
• 7 cups water
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large English cucumber, diced
• 1 pint grape tomatoes, diced
• 1 medium red onion, diced
• 1 bunch fresh parsley, chopped (about 2 cups)
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest
• 6 oz. crumbled feta cheese, divided

Dressing:

• 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
• 2/3 cup olive oil
• 1 tablespoon Garlic & Herb seasoning from lentils
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt

Instructions

1. Remove seasoning packet from Hurst’s Garlic & Herb Lentils. Measure out 1 tablespoon of seasoning to be used in dressing; set aside.
2. Add remaining seasoning, lentils, water and two tablespoons olive oil to a large pot. Bring lentils to a boil, reduce heat, cover and cook for 35 minutes or until lentils are al dente. Strain lentils then gently rinse in cold water. Set aside to drain thoroughly.
3. Combine dressing ingredients and mix well; set aside.
4. Combine cucumber, tomatoes, onion, parsley, lemon zest, 2/3 of feta and lentils in a large bowl. Add dressing and mix well. To serve, top salad with remaining feta.

Notes

• If you can’t find the Hurst’s Garlic & Herb Lentils, ask your grocer to get them for you or order online. If you’re not able to get them, substitute with 2 cups uncooked lentils (cook with salt and spices to taste) then dress with 1 cup Greek salad dressing.
• Don’t skip the fresh parsley! It really gives the salad a unique freshness and it pairs so beautifully with fresh lemon juice!
• You will likely need 2 lemons to yield 1/3 cup juice. I have never been able to get more than 1/4 cup from one.
• Greek olives and/or roasted red peppers would be great additions to this salad!

https://www.southyourmouth.com/2017/02/mediterranean-lentil-salad.html

Images and text © South Your Mouth LLC 2017

lentil salad, red lentils, green lentils, mediterranean, pasta salad, vinaigrette, homemade, best, how to, gluten free, feta, cucumbers, hursts, garlic and herb

salad

Mediterranean

Keep up with my latest shenanigans by following South Your Mouth!

FACEBOOK | PINTEREST | INSTAGRAM | TWITTER