This flavorful Moroccan Lentil Salad is infused with fragrant spices, crunchy celery, toasted almonds, dried apricots and loads of fresh herbs- a healthy vegan salad that can be made ahead- perfect for midweek lunches! Vegan and GF.
Sometimes you’ll never know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory. ~Dr. Seuss
Here’s another make-ahead vegan salad I think you will fall in love with- Moroccan Lentil Salad. I love the flavors and spices in this salad, and how energized I feel after eating it. Lentils are high in protein and are considered a “slow-metabolizing” carbohydrate- the kind of carb that has so many health benefits. Plus I’m just a huge fan of lentils. ( If you are too, make sure to take a peek at these 25 Lentil Recipes.)
Health aside, this lentil salad just tastes yummy. So this is what I like to do- meal prep a couple of healthy salads ahead, to always ensure we have something nutritious in the fridge in case of hunger “emergencies” when many good intentions go out the window. 🙂
For example, this week I made this salad and this Lemony Chickpea Quinoa Salad, and kept them in the fridge and served them up as lunch or side salads with our dinner. You get the idea.
Today I used Black lentils but any whole lentil will work here along with dried apricots (un-sulfured if possible, or sub dates!), celery, chopped red onions ( which you can soak in saltwater if you have problems digesting), toasted almonds, fresh herbs -cilantro, mint or parsley- and orange zest.
The Moroccan dressing is infused with cinnamon, cumin and clove. Super tasty friends!
Pretty much just toss it all in a bowl and let the flavors meld. The salad tastes better and better each day.
It’s also a good salad to bring to gatherings and potlucks because it is easy to make ahead.
I like to add chili flakes for a little heat, up to you!
Hope you enjoy this Moroccan Lentil Salad as much as we have! Let us know what you think in the comments below…. and show it to me on Instagram if you do end up making it (tag #feastingathome).
Happy first week of summer! 🙌
xoxo
Sylvia
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Moroccan Lentil Salad
- Prep Time: 20
- Cook Time: 20
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 6-8
- Category: vegan salad, legumes, lentil recipes
- Method: stovetop
- Cuisine: moroccan
- Diet: Vegan
Description
The BEST Lentil Salad infused with Moroccan Spices, this healthy vegan lentil salad can be made ahead and keeps for 4 days, perfect for healthy midweek lunches!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup chopped red onion
- 4 cups cooked lentils (1 1/2 cups dry- do not use split lentils– use whole black lentils, brown lentils, green lentils )
- 2 cups celery, chopped
- 1 cup dried apricots, chopped
- 1/4 cup almonds, chopped or slivered, toasted
- 1 cup cilantro or flat-leaf parsley (or use part mint, or a blend of all three, chopped
- zest and juice of one orange
Moroccan Dressing:
- 2 tablespoons honey or maple syrup
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar, or sub sherry vinegar, or apple cider vinegar
- 2 garlic cloves, finely minced (use a garlic press)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt, more to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
- pinch or two chili flakes (optional, but good)
Instructions
- Cook lentils according to package directions (see notes, feel free to do ahead)
- If sensitive to onions, chop and place in a bowlful of cold, salted water.
- Place lentils, celery, apricots, almonds, drained onions, herbs and orange zest in a large bowl. Squeeze with the orange juice.
- Mix dressing ingredients into the bowl. If using honey, mix dressing ingredients separately (easier). Toss with salad ingredients.
- Taste, adjust salt and add chili flakes if you like. I usually add a little more salt after this sits a while.
Notes
This is will keep 4 days in the fridge.
To cook lentils: Use the pasta method. Bring 1 1/2 cup lentils (dry) and 6-8 cups salted water, to a boil, lower heat, simmer uncovered until just tender. Don’t overcook. Little black lentils cook very fast! 12-16 minutes, depending on size. Strain, let cool.
Keywords: vegan lentil salad, best lentil salad, moroccan lentil salad, lentil salad, black lentil salad, lentil recipes
I need to make this as part of wedding buffet I’m in the UK by the way and I need to serve 100grm per person, so how many times do I need to multiply the receipe to achieve this please?
Unfortunately Gill, I did not weigh the salad when I made it. I would suggest making one batch, weighing it in grams and calculating from there.
Fabulous dish. An unusual and wonderful mix of flavors and textures. I used green lentils and unsulfured apricots which makes for a sort of bland appearance…when I make this for company I’ll use dark lentils and bright orange apricots so that the presentation is as vibrant as the taste.
★★★★★
Perfect Barbara!
Thank you Sylvia, I did make it for company yesterday and got requests for the recipe 😀 I really appreciate you sharing it!
★★★★★
Awesome Barbara!
LOVE this salad and will be making it often, I’m sure! Made exactly as written, I used maple syrup and for the herbs – a combo of cilantro and mint. Such wonderful flavours – thank you for this recipe!
★★★★★
Sounds perfect!
This dish is outstanding! I didn’t have cloves. But I would have put them in there if I could of. I used half parsley and half cilantro. Yummy!
★★★★★
Perfect Laura!
This is delicious! I used maple syrup and red wine vinegar. Had to leave out almonds and garlic.
★★★★★
Thanks Katie
This salad has the perfect combination of color, texture, and flavor, with the added bonus of healthy nutrition. Plus, it’s endlessly modifiable, depending on what you have on hand and what you need to use up. I used the chili pepper flakes, and not sorry. Made it as written, except I added small diced carrots. Thanks for sharing this terrific recipe. It’s a keeper.
★★★★★