A delicious, healthy, spring lentil salad recipe served over creamy tahini yogurt sauce. Vegan-adaptable, and Gluten-Free!
This Spring Lentil Salad is inspired by all the lovely produce growing in the farmer’s market this time of year! Crunchy radishes, asparagus and snap peas add a nice contrast in texture to the lentils, and the lemon and mint are just so bright and refreshing. A happy salad. The salad is dressed with a lemony dressing then piled over our creamy tahini yogurt sauce. Dreamy!
Why You’ll Love This
- Healthy & seasonal. An abundance of protein-rich lentils and fresh veggies packed with vitamins and antioxidants.
- Fresh spring flavor! The lemony dressing brings vibrant flavor, and the mint is a lovely herby addition.
- Vegan-adaptable & gluten-free. Sub vegan yogurt for the Greek yogurt.
- Delicious texture! Crunchy veggies, tender lentils, and creamy tahini yogurt sauce contrast beautifully.
Ingredients in Lentil Salad
- Cooked lentils: I prefer using small black lentils for this salad, because they cook quickly and are cute! But any whole lentil, like French Green, will work here. Do not use split lentils.
- Spring vegetables: Snap peas, English peas, snow peas, green beans, asparagus, radishes, or chard. Just pick a few!
- Aromatics: Red onion (or sub green onion) and garlic. Mince the garlic finely or use a garlic press. Both weave in savory, aromatic taste.
- Fresh mint leaves: Or sub dill, Italian parsley, basil, or other fresh herbs, but mint is simply pops with spring flavor!
- Lemon: Deliciously bright and uplifting, you’ll use lemon juice and zest for the vibrant Lemony Dressing.
- Sumac: Option, but if you have it use it! Other options include curry powder, cumin, coriander, or harissa powder.
- Microgreens: Optional, but add even more nutrients and a bit of extra crunch and texture.
- Tahini Yogurt sauce: We love this tahini yogurt sauce recipe, made with Greek yogurt, (or sub vegan yogurt), tahini paste, olive oil, lemon juice, fresh dill (or mint), a garlic clove, sumac (optional), and kosher salt.
How to make Spring Lentil Salad
Step 1: Cook the lentils. Cook in a pot of salted water (boil, then simmer) until tender, but not falling apart, 20-25 minutes. Drain in a colander and rinse with cold water.
Step 2: Blanch veggies. Lightly blanch asparagus, snap peas, green beans, or English peas in a saucepan until tender-crisp. Chill.
Step 3: Prep the radishes and chard. If using radishes, slice or quarter them. If using chard, finely chop, then wilt in a pan with a little olive oil, shallot or garlic, and salt and pepper.
Step 4: Toss the salad. Add lentils, veggies, onion, garlic, and mint to a large bowl. Toss with the olive oil, lemon zest, and juice from 1/2 a lemon. Season generously with salt, black pepper, and sumac (optional). Taste and adjust for lemon and salt.
Step 5: Make the Tahini Yogurt Sauce. This is optional. Whisk all of the ingredients together in a small bowl, then smear the sauce on a platter (or individual bowls or plates).
Step 6: Assemble. Pile the spring lentil salad and optional microgreens overtop.
Serving Suggestions
Serve this Spring Lentil Salad as a light summery main with a side of toasty pita or sourdough, or serve as a side dish to a protein main.
FAQs
Yes! Make the recipe as is, but leave out the mint and micro greens, keeping those fresh until just before serving.
You can store leftovers in the refrigerator for 4 days, keeping the salad in an airtight container.
Sure! This salad tastes great gently warmed, room temperature, or cold. Store in a jar for a quick, grab-and-go lunch!
The creamy yogurt sauce replaces the need for cheese here, however feta cheese or goat cheese could make a nice addition.
If you’re looking for more spring salads, try our Asparagus Salad, Spring Greens, and Strawberry Salad.
More lentil salad Recipes you may like
Enjoy this refreshing spring lentil salad and let us know what you think in the comments below! xoxo
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Spring Lentil Salad
- Prep Time: 20
- Cook Time: 40
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 4
- Category: Salad, Legumes, Gluten-free
- Method: Tossed
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
A delicious, healthy spring lentil salad recipe with veggies, lemon, and mint served over optional tahini yogurt sauce. Vegan adaptable and Gluten-Free
Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked lentils (Black Caviar or French Green are nice- do not use split lentils) about 3/4-1 cup dry.
- 3 cups spring veggies- your choice of snap peas, English peas, snow peas, green beans, asparagus, radishes or swiss chard
- 3 tablespoons red onion- finely chopped , or sub green onion
- 1 garlic clove, finely minced- use a garlic press
- 1/4 cup chopped mint leaves (2 ounces) or sub dill or italian parsley, but mint is nice. 😉
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 lemon, zest and juice
- 1 teaspoon sumac -optional but yummy!
- salt and pepper to taste
- optional micro greens
Tahini Yogurt Sauce:
- 3/4 cup plain thick Greek yogurt (or sub vegan yogurt)
- 1/4 cup tahini paste (stirred)
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1–2 garlic cloves finely minced, or grated
- 1/2 teaspoon sumac (optional)
- 3/4 teaspoon salt, more to taste
Instructions
- Cook the lentils in salted water until tender but not falling apart. Drain, rinse with cold water, drain.
- Lightly blanch asparagus, snap peas, green beans, or English peas until tender-crisp. Chill.
- If adding radishes, you can keep those raw and crunchy. If using chard, finely chop and wilt in a pan with a little olive oil, shallot or garlic, and salt and pepper.
- Place the lentils, veggies, onion, garlic and mint in a bowl. Toss with the olive oil, lemon zest and juice from ½ a lemon—season generously with salt, pepper and optional sumac.
- Adjust salt and lemon, adding more to taste if you like. If it’s bland, it most likely needs salt.
- Make the Tahini Yogurt Sauce. Whisk all the ingredients together in a small bowl. Smear the yogurt sauce on a platter (or individual bowls or plates) then top with lentil salad and optional microgreens.
Notes
Lentil salad can be made ahead- leave out mint and microgreens and add them right before serving. Leftovers will keep 2-3 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup, served with the Yogurt Sauce
- Calories: 257
- Sugar: 8.6 g
- Sodium: 347.1 mg
- Fat: 7.8 g
- Saturated Fat: 1.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 35.7 g
- Fiber: 6.5 g
- Protein: 14.2 g
- Cholesterol: 1.2 mg
So easy and delish! And so adaptable! Used asparagus, sugar snap peas, brocollini and radishes for my veggies with lots of sprouts and microgreens on top. My husband couldn’t get enough of the tahini “shmear”! Thanks for another yummy dinner!
Yay, great to hear you both enjoyed! Thanks for taking the time to leave a review!
To make this dairy free, would a df coconut yogurt work??
I think it would work fine!
Delicious and easy! I’m always looking for vegetarian recipes to prepare ahead of the week for lunch or dinner. This is perfect: tasty, easy to make, quick, and nutritious!
Thanks, glad you enjoyed!
This was D-licious! The sauce….OMG! The sauce!!! Thank you for sharing your creations 🙏
so good!
This turned out amazing! Loved it.
Hi,
I made this a few days ago, and it was delicious! I could not find sumac at the grocery. I ended up using harissa powder instead, which was tasty. I still want try it with the sumac…
Hi Nicole, thanks so much, Im so glad you liked it and tried without the Sumac!
So glad to find you ! Gorgeous !
So glad you are here! Welcome!