Menu Close

Spinach Lentil Salad with Vinaigrette Recipe (Vegetarian)

Kelly Jensen 14 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I may earn from qualifying purchases, at no additional cost to you.

Jump to Recipe Print
This Spinach Lentil Salad recipe is a vibrant hearty salad, with a simple 5-minute vinaigrette dressing!  Nothing like a vibrant bold salad to let that summer produce shine!
 
I love a hearty no-cook meal in the summer, and this salad is great to put together if you have canned or cooked lentils ready to go!  This salad is loaded with fresh sweet vegetables, bright herbs, and hearty lentils.  The simple vinaigrette dressing couldn’t be easier to make: just olive oil, apple cider vinegar, salt, and pepper. 
 
A quick, tasty, an easy summer time lunch or dinner.
spinach salad with brown lentils healthy high protein vegetarian salads vegan option with no feta cheese in a bowl with fresh salad recipes for january.
 

This delicious spinach lentil salad is an absolute pleasure to have for lunch or dinner!  I made a huge batch of it for Meal Prep Sunday and I was able to enjoy it throughout the week. 

This is great to enjoy for dinner with toast or a light lunch. Browse all our delicious meal prep recipes as well. Meal prepping is a great tool for keeping food organized throughout the week.

This Spinach Lentil Salad Is

  • Vibrant
  • Bright
  • Earthy
  • Packed with plant protein
  • Loaded with flavor
  • Versatile: you can swap in any fresh ingredients that you have on hand
  • Vegetarian, gluten free, dairy free, and refined sugar free!
lentil spinach salad recipe with brown lentils feta cheese and an apple cider vinaigrette dressing recipe

What’s In This French Lentil Salad?

See the recipe card below for full ingredient amounts and recipe instructions!

  • Lentils – I love using use French lentils, brown lentils, or black lentils for this salad.  Don’t use red, as they fall apart when they are cooked.  You can cook lentils on the stove top, but I usually use my recipe for Perfect Rice Cooker Lentils, which are ready in about 45 minutes.
  • Spinach – I recommend fresh spinach for this salad, as opposed to thawing frozen or using canned. Fresh leaves make this salad crunchy and delicious! 
  • Apple Cider Vinegar: which gives this dressing a little extra tang! There are great benefits to apple cider vinegar with the mother aside from it’s fantastic flavor.  I think it gives a nice extra sweetness and depth.
  • Really Good Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • Feta Cheese – I used a crumbled feta for this recipe, but you can also use a block of feta cheese, mashed with a fork before adding to the salad.

Enjoy Filling Inexpensive Salads All Year

This salad is super budget friendly as well!  I always stock up on lentils as they are inexpensive to keep in the pantry, and are always ready for a quick and easy meal.
 
And the vinaigrette couldn’t be easier or simpler to make: apple Cider Vinegar, good olive oil, salt, and pepper.   You could also add some honey or maple syrup for some sweetness, but I found that this dressing actually didn’t need it at all.  Keep it simple!
 
I made a list of my Top 125 Plant-Based Pantry Staples that always keep stocked.
 
spinach salad with lentils healthy filling salad recipes with brown lentil salad with greens and feta cheese
 

Ways to Cook Lentils

I love cooking lentils in my rice cooker, which always come out perfect.  The stovetop method used to be my go-to cooking method for lentils, however I find that the rice cooker to be much easier.  Just add the lentils, add the water, set it, and forget it!  You can also use cooked lentils in a can or a pouch from the grocery store.
 

How Do I Make This Brown Lentil Salad with Spinach?

  • In a large bowl, add the fresh spinach, and top with cooked lentils.
  • To a quart sized mason jar add the apple cider vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper.
  • Shake well for a minute to combine dressing, and evenly pour the dressing over the salad. Top with feta cheese.
  • Enjoy immediately, it’s best fresh!
spinach lentil salad recipe with french lentils green puy lentil salad healthy vegetarian

Dietary Modifications

  • This recipe is naturally vegetarian, and dairy free.
  • It’s gluten free, and contains so grain or wheat.
  • This recipe is refined sugar free!  If you’d like to add a sweetener in the dressing I’d recommend honey (because I’m a beekeeper so it’s my sweetener of choice!) or maple syrup.

More Hearty Salad Recipes You’ll Love

Vegan Chopped Chickpea Salad (Gluten Free, Vegan, Dairy Free)

Caprese Pasta Salad with Pesto Vinaigrette (Vegetarian, GF, Vegan Option)

Thai Quinoa Cabbage Salad (Vegan, Gluten Free, Summer Side Dish)

Hawaiian Macaroni Salad (Vegan, Gluten Free)

Sweet Vinegar & Oil Coleslaw (Vegan, GF)

Share This Spinach Lentil Salad Recipe

If you loved this recipe, please feel free to share on Facebook or with your family & friends. Make sure to follow us on Instagram, YouTube & TikTok too – I’d love to connect with you there.

And let’s keep in touch – subscribe to my monthly newsletter to get free recipe inspiration. 

spinach salad with brown lentils healthy high protein vegetarian salads vegan option with no feta cheese in a bowl with fresh salad recipes for january.

Spinach Lentil Salad

Kelly Jensen
This Spinach Lentil Salad recipe is a vibrant tasty meal, with a simple 5-minute vinaigrette dressing!  Nothing like a vibrant bold salad to let that summer produce shine!
5 from 5 votes
Print Recipe Pin Share Tweet
Prep Time 10 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Course Lunch, Salad
Cuisine American, French
Servings 6 servings
Calories 277 kcal

Equipment

  • Large Salad Serving Bowl
  • Salad Tongs

Ingredients
  

For the Salad

  • 2 cups cooked lentils
  • 5 ounces fresh spinach
  • 1/2 cup feta cheese

Cider Vinaigrette

  • 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 1/4 teaspoon Sea Salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon Black Pepper

Instructions
 

  • In a large bowl, add the fresh spinach, and top with cooked lentils.
  • To a quart sized mason jar add the apple cider vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper.
  • Shake well for a minute to combine dressing, and evenly pour the dressing over the salad. Top with feta cheese.
  • Enjoy immediately, it’s best fresh!

Nutrition

Calories: 277kcalCarbohydrates: 15gProtein: 8gFat: 21gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 14gCholesterol: 11mgSodium: 260mgPotassium: 392mgFiber: 6gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 2274IUVitamin C: 8mgCalcium: 99mgIron: 3mg
Did You Make This Recipe?Please leave a rating and comment below, let us know what you loved about it!

This post may contain affiliate links. I may earn from qualifying purchases from affiliate programs, at no additional cost to you. Please read our privacy policy for more information.

Sharing is caring!

Posted in American, Appetizers, Dairy Free, Dressing, Favorites, For Entertaining, Gluten Free, Lunches, Meal Prep, Salads, Side Dishes, Summer Recipes, The Herbeevore Recipes, Vegan Recipes, Vegetarian Recipes

About the Author: Kelly Jensen

Kelly Jensen has 7 years experience as a food blogger, freelance recipe developer, content creator, beekeeper, and loves cooking everything she can from scratch.

View all post by Kelly Jensen | Website

14 Comments

  1. Pingback:Coconut Curry Lentils Recipe

  2. Pingback:Ramen Noodle Salad Recipe with Coleslaw - The Herbeevore

  3. Pingback:Apple Cider Vinegar Salad Dressing Recipe (Vegan, Gluten Free)

  4. Pingback:Rice Cooker Lentils Recipe (Vegan, Gluten Free, Low Sodium)

  5. Pingback:Cowboy Beans Recipe (Vegetarian/Vegan, High Protein)

  7. Pingback:Easy Lemon Quinoa Salad Recipe (Vegan, Gluten Free Side Dishes)

  8. Pingback:Aunt Ruth's Salad Dressing Recipe (Family Recipe!)

  9. Pingback:Rice Cooker Lentils Recipe (Vegan, Gluten Free, Low Sodium)

  10. Pingback:Refrigerator Spicy Pickled Green Beans Recipe (Vegan, Gluten Free)

  11. Pingback:Summer Black-Eyed Pea Salad (Vegan, Gluten Free) - The Herbeevore

  12. Pingback:Honey Mustard Coleslaw (Gluten Free, Vegetarian)

  13. Pingback:Vegan Ramen Noodle Salad Recipe - The Herbeevore

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.