Mediterranean Lentil Salad
on Jul 25, 2025
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Full of fresh ingredients including tomatoes, bell peppers and cucumbers, this Mediterranean lentil salad is a hearty recipe that can be a main dish. It also has chickpeas, kalamata olives and feta cheese. Dressed in red wine vinaigrette, this make-ahead salad is fantastic for meal prep. It also can be a picnic or potluck side dish.
For another lentil recipe, try this roasted tomato and zucchini salad.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
If you’re looking for a main dish salad, lentils are the way to go. No offense to lettuce, but lentils are a great source of fiber and protein. That makes them a hearty base for salads.
Make this salad for potlucks, barbecues and meal prep and it won’t get soggy or wilt. Again, this is something to love about lentils. Besides being a nutrition superstar, they are sturdier than leafy greens. Lentil salads have staying power similar to pasta salads.
This salad has tons of fresh flavor with the perfect balance of ingredients and textures. You get the crispness of cucumbers and bell peppers with juicy tomatoes, salty olives and feta. Each bite has something different and will have you going back for more.
The Ingredients
This is what you need:
- Black lentils are great for salads because they hold their shape when you cook them. You can substitute with brown or green lentils, also known as puy lentils. Skip red lentils because they fall apart when they simmer, so save them for lentil recipes like soups and stews. Lentils are gluten free.
- Chickpeas (garbanzo beans): After you rinse the canned chickpeas with cold water in a colander, pat them dry with a towel. Some of their skins will fall off as you do this. It is up to you if you want to pull off all of them.
- Tomatoes: You can use cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes. Sliced in half, they are better than dicing larger tomatoes because they aren’t as messy with seeds and juice.
- Bell pepper: Any color will work. Orange, yellow and red bell peppers are sweeter than green peppers, which have a more bitter taste. Don’t use jarred roasted red peppers because they won’t be crisp.
- Cucumbers: I prefer English cucumbers or Persian cucumbers over regular cucumbers because they have less seeds and more delicate skins..
- Kalamata olives: When you buy olives, double check to make sure they are pitted. Then I cut them in half, so they are more evenly mixed throughout the salad.
- Red onions: Finely diced, they add crispness and a sharp accent.
- Feta: Instead of using crumbled feta cheese, cut a block into cubes. Then you get these big and wonderful salty, briny bites in the salad.
- Parsley: I finish the salad with chopped fresh herbs to layer in another flavor.
- Red wine vinaigrette: The dressing has minced garlic, whole grain mustard, lemon juice, red wine vinegar and extra virgin olive oil. I season it with oregano, kosher salt and black pepper.
Optional Additions
- Lettuce: It’s ok to add leafy greens such as chopped kale or romaine, arugula or spinach. Only add lettuce to the portion of salad you are going to eat.
- Hard-boiled eggs: You can chop or slice them.
- Nuts: For crunch, add chopped walnuts or almonds.
- Chicken, shrimp or another protein: The mediterranean flavors of this salad go with roasted or grilled chicken, salmon or shrimp.
How To Make This Mediterranean Lentil Salad Recipe
1. Cook the lentils. Put the lentils and salt in a medium pot and cover them with water by 1 inch. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to a low simmer with the lid partially on. Cook for 15-20 minutes until the lentils are just tender. They should be al dente. Check their doneness after 15 minutes. Pour the cooked lentils into a strainer and rinse with cold water.
2. Assemble the salad. Combine the lentils, chickpeas, tomatoes, bell peppers, cucumbers, olives, red onions, feta and parsley in a large bowl.
3. Make the salad dressing. In a small bowl, whisk the minced garlic, mustard, dried oregano, salt, pepper, red wine vinegar, fresh lemon juice and oil.
4. Drizzle the vinaigrette into the lentil salad. Toss to combine.
Serving
As mentioned, this is a great choice for a big salad that you can turn into a meal on its own. Or treat the salad like a side dish. No surprise, based on the name of the recipe, it will go with anything with Mediterranean flavors. You can serve it with crusty bread or pita for something extra.
Make-Ahead Tips, Leftovers & Storage
You can make the lentils and dressing 1 day in advance. Keep them in separate airtight containers in the fridge. Take them out at least 15 minutes before assembling the salad.
You can store the salad leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 4 days. If you have extra vinaigrette, keep it in a mason jar. Then before you use the dressing, let it sit at room temperature for 15 minutes before tossing it in the salad. The oil will likely harden in the chill of the refrigerator.
More Big Salad Recipes
Halloumi Lentil Salad
Roasted Vegetable Barley Salad
Greek Quinoa Salad
Peach Corn Farro Salad
Tomato Corn Wild Rice Salad
Arugula Pasta Salad
Lemon Orzo Salad
Roasted Tomato Chickpea Quinoa Salad
Looking for more salad inspiration? Check out my seasonal salad guide with recipes and tips on ingredients, meal prep and more.
Mediterranean Lentil Salad
Ingredients
For salad
- 1/2 cup black lentils, rinsed
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- Water
- 1 15 ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes, halved
- 1 bell pepper, diced
- 1/2 pound diced cucumbers
- 1/2 cup halved pitted kalamata olives
- 1/4 cup finely diced red onions
- 8 ounces feta cheese, cut into 1/4-inch to 1/2-inch cubes
- 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
For vinaigrette
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 tablespoon whole grain mustard
- 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 lemon, juice
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1/4 cup olive oil
Instructions
- Place the lentils and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a medium saucepan and cover with water by 1 inch. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a low simmer with the lid partially on the saucepan. Cook for 15-20 minutes until the lentils are just tender. Taste them to check their doneness after 15 minutes. Once the lentils are ready, pour them into a strainer and rinse with cold water.
- In a large bowl, combine the lentils, chickpeas, tomatoes, bell peppers, cucumbers, olives, red onions, feta and parsley.
- To make the vinaigrette, whisk the garlic, mustard, oregano, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, pepper, lemon juice, red wine vinegar and olive oil.
- Drizzle the vinaigrette into the salad, tossing to combine.
Notes
- Leafy greens: kale, arugula, romaine or spinach.
- Hard-boiled eggs, chopped or sliced
- Nuts: chopped toasted walnuts or almonds.
- Chicken, shrimp or salmon
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
