This easy and healthy Red Lentil Salad is packed full of protein and flavour. The dressing is zesty, and full of spices to complement the lentils and veggies. A perfect light lunch, side dish or for the summer picnic or potluck. This lentil salad is a crowd pleaser and keeps for days in the fridge!
With it’s vibrant color, fresh ingredients, and delicious flavours, this Red Lentil Salad is sure to become a house favourite. Packed with of plant-based protein and fiber from the lentils and greens.
It keeps for a few days in the fridge without going soggy so it’s perfect for meal prep!
Some of my favourite summer salads are Grilled Potato Salad and this Grilled Sweet Corn Salad. Both of them also perfect to pack up for the summer picnic or potluck.
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Ingredients
Making red lentil salad is easy, all you need are a few basic ingredients.
For the full ingredient measurements, scroll down to view the recipe card at the bottom of the page.
- Red lentils, picked over and rinsed
- Red onion, finely chopped
- Carrot, peeled and grated
- Shredded coconut, unsweetened
- Peanuts, chopped
- Cilantro, chopped
Dressing
- Ginger, peeled and grated
- Garlic, minced
- Soy sauce
- Yellow curry powder
- Red chili flakes
- Sunflower oil
- Lime, juiced
- Salt and pepper
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Making this Red lentil salad is really easy, just follow these steps.
For the full written instructions see the recipe card at the bottom.
In a bowl, mix together all the ingredients for the dressing.
Boil the red lentils, strain them and rinse with cold water.
Add the cooked lentils, red onion, carrot, shredded coconut, peanuts and cilantro to a serving bowl.
Pour in the dressing and gently stir. Top with some extra cilantro and peanuts and enjoy!
Let the lentil salad marinade for at least 30 min in the fridge and then you are ready to serve. Top with some peanuts, chopped cilantro and a squeeze if lime and enjoy!
Substitutions
- Lentils – Instead of using red lentils you can use any other kind of lentils, Just follow the package instructions for the cook time. Canned lentils also work great! Just drain and rinse them before adding them too the salad.
- Carrot – This recipe has grated cavort but a great substitute for this is shredded cabbage, I don’t recommend delicate vegetables that will become soggy in the dressing.
- Coconut – It adds a great flavour and texture to this lentil salad. It can be omitted or replaced with more grated carrot.
Variations
This recipe is really easy to make and packs a punch of flavour. Here are some variations you could make.
- Spicy – add some chili pepper flakes for an extra kick of spice!
- Veggies – add some chopped carrots, tomatoes or other veggies to your liking.
Also check out this Roasted sweet potato lentil salad on my website!
Storage
Store this red lentil salad in an airtight container in the fridge. It keeps well for up to 4-5 days.
This lentil salad doesn’t stand up well to freezing.
Top tip
Make sure that the red lentils don’t overcook for this lentil salad. They cook very fast and if overcooked will become mushy and fall apart when mixed with the rest of the ingredients. Follow the cooking instructions in the recipe below.
FAQ
No you don’t. Red lentils cook very fast and don’t need to be soaked ahead of time.
Yes! I prefer to eat this red lentil salad cold straight out of the fridge.
Yes, you do need to rinse the red lentils before they are boiled to remove any dust or debris.
Yes! If you cook red lentils for too long they will become very mushy and fall apart. You don’t want that for this salad! Follow the cooking instructions in the recipe below and check the red lentils at the end of the cook time to avoid overcooking them.
Looking for more salads?
Make it a combo
Soup and salad goes to well together with a pice of crusty bread. Try one of this recipes to go with the Red lentil salad.
This easy and healthy Red Lentil Salad is packed full of protein and flavour. The dressing is zesty and full of spices to complement the lentils and veggies. A perfect light lunch, side dish or for the summer picnic or potluck. This lentil salad is a crowd pleaser and keeps for days in the fridge!
- 1 cups red lentils, picked over and rinsed
- ½ red onion, finely chopped
- 1 small carrot, peeled and grated
- ¼ cup shredded coconut unsweetened
- ¼ cup peanuts, chopped
- 2 tablespoon cilantro, chopped
- 1 tablespoon ginger peeled and grated
- 1 garlic clove minced
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon yellow curry powder
- ½ teaspoon red chili flakes
- ¼ cup sunflower oil
- 1 lime juiced
- Salt and pepper to taste
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Add the lentils to a pot and fill with plenty of cold water. Bring to a boil and then turn off the heat and let the lentils sit in the hot water for about 8 min. Ones the lentils are tender but not mushy, strain them and rinse with cold water.
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In a large bowl, mix together all the ingredients for the dressing.
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Add the cooked lentils, red onion, carrot, shredded coconut, peanuts and cilantro to a serving bowl.
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Pour in the dressing and gently stir. Let the lentil salad marinade for at least 30 min in the fridge and then you are ready to serve. Top with some peanuts, chopped cilantro and a squeeze if lime and enjoy!
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