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Black lentil salad is a vibrant and hearty lunch or dinner that’s loaded with fresh garden vegetables. This salad is tossed with a simple 5-minute Dijon vinaigrette that brightens every bite of this salad.

I love enjoying this salad as a lunch or a light dinner in the summer when tomatoes and cucumbers are in season. Serve with a slice of no knead crusty bread and you have a delicious lentil salad in no time.

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Table of Contents

Black lentils, also known as beluga lentils, are the hearty and delicious star of this salad!

I love simple meal in the summer, and this salad is great to put together if you have canned or cooked black lentils ready to go! This salad is loaded with fresh sweet vegetables, bright herbs, and hearty lentils.

The simple cider vinaigrette couldn’t be easier to make: just olive oil, apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, agave, and herbs. A quick, tasty, an easy summer time lunch or dinner that’s vegetarian and gluten free.

This Black Lentil Salad Recipe Is

Vibrant
Bright
Earthy
Packed with plant protein
Loaded with flavor
Versatile: you can swap in any fresh ingredients that you have on hand
Vegan, gluten free, dairy free, and refined sugar free!
Meal prep friendly

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One of the Best Recipes with Black Lentils

This salad was an absolute pleasure to enjoy for lunch. It hit all the right notes: savory, sweet, bright, fresh, and crunchy.

I made a huge batch of it for Meal Prep Sunday and I was able to enjoy it throughout the week. The heart veggies really stood up in this salad, no boring lettuce here! Here are a few of my meal prep recipes too. Meal prepping is a great tool for keeping food organized throughout the week.

What’s In This Black Lentil Salad?

Be sure to visit the recipe card below for full ingredient amounts and recipe instructions!

Black Lentils, or beluga lentils because they look like caviar. You can cook black lentils on the stove top, but I usually use my recipe for Perfect Rice Cooker Lentils, which are ready in about 45 minutes.
Tomatoes: What ever fresh tomato variety you have on hand: beefsteak, Roma, cherry tomatoes, etc.
Cucumber: peeled and diced
Carrot
Green Onion: for a little spice and flavor
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.
Extra virgin olive oil
Maple syrup
Dijon Mustard – for a really nice flavor and texture, this Dijon is a favorite in our pantry. Use a good quality mustard, not yellow prepared mustard.

Inexpensive Lentil Recipes for Lunch or Dinner

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… all pantry staple ingredients there. Apple Cider Vinegar (which we always keep a few bottles of), good olive oil, agave, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper.

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How Do I Make This Salad Recipe with Black Beluga Lentils?

Cook the lentils: follow package instructions, or use my Rice Cooker Lentils recipe. Drain, and allow lentils to cool.
In a large mixing bowl, add the cooked black lentils, tomato, cucumber, carrots, green onion.
To a pint sized mason jar add the apple cider vinegar, olive oil, agave, Dijon mustard, and Herbs de Provence.
Shake well for a minute to combine dressing, and pour the dressing over the salad.
Serve immediately, store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 2 days.

Cook Lentils Without a Pot!

I love cooking lentils in my rice cooker, which always come out perfect. I haven’t tried them in the Instant Pot yet, but I will definitely try it out next time. 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, but I prefer dried as they are more cost effective.

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Dietary Modifications

This recipe is naturally vegan, 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.

Hearty Salad Recipes You May Enjoy

Lemon Quinoa Salad Recipe
Soba Noodle Salad with Miso Dressing Recipe
Spinach Chickpea Salad Recipe
Mediterranean Black Bean Salad Recipe
Caprese Pesto Pasta Salad Recipe

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Enjoyable and very tasty

Black Lentil Salad Recipe