This Moroccan Lentil Salad is so flavorful! Infused with fragrant Moroccan spices, crunchy celery, toasted almonds, dried apricots, and orange zest, loads of fresh herbs. Vegan and GF. Video.
Sometimes you’ll never know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory. ~Dr. Seuss
Here is one of my favorite lentil salad recipes, and I can’t wait for you to try it! I love the flavors and spices in this Moroccan Lentil 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 this awesome collection of Lentil Recipes.)
Health aside, this lentil salad just tastes delcious with the best crunchy texture. 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. 🙂
Why You’ll Love This Lentil Salad Recipe
- It’s so easy to make – pretty much just toss it all in a bowl and let the flavors meld.
- Can be made ahead! Perfect for gatherings and potlucks or midweek meals. The leftover salad tastes better and better each day.
- It’s vegan and gluten-free!
Moroccan Lentil Salad Ingredients
- Red onion - Adds sharpness and a bit of bite, balancing the sweetness in the salad.
- Cooked lentils (black, brown, or green preferred) - Provide hearty texture and plant-based protein; avoid split lentils as they tend to overcook and become mushy.
- Celery - Brings fresh crunch and subtle savory notes.
- Dried apricots - Add chewy texture and natural sweetness that complements the warm spices.
- Almonds (chopped or slivered, toasted) - Contribute nutty richness and crunch.
- Fresh herbs (cilantro or flat-leaf parsley, or a blend with mint) - Add brightness and freshness; mint introduces a cooling contrast to the warm spices.
- Orange zest and juice - Provide vibrant citrus aroma and acidity that lift the entire salad.
- Honey - Adds natural sweetness; maple syrup works as a plant-based alternative.
- Olive oil - Creates a silky base and carries the spices.
- Red wine vinegar - Adds acidity and tang; sherry vinegar or apple cider vinegar can be used instead.
- Garlic - Brings pungent depth and savory warmth.
- Salt and black pepper - Enhance and balance the flavors.
- Warm spices (cumin, cinnamon, ground cloves) - Add earthy depth, warmth, and signature Moroccan-inspired complexity.
- Chili flakes (optional) - Provide a subtle kick of heat to balance the sweetness.
Variations and Substitutions
Today I used Black lentils, but any whole lentil will work here, along with dried apricots (unsulfured if possible) or feel free to sub dates! Instead of almonds, you could use pistachios, toasted pinenuts or pecans.
How to Make It
- Cook lentils according to package directions (see notes, feel free to do this ahead.)
- Combine. Place cooled lentils, celery, apricots, almonds, drained onions, herbs and orange zest in a large bowl. Squeeze with ½ of the orange, adding more to taste after.
- Dress the salad. Mix dressing ingredients into the bowl. If using honey, mix dressing ingredients separately (easier). Toss with salad ingredients.
- Season. Taste, adjust salt and add chili flakes if you like. I usually add a little more salt after this sits a while. Add more orange juice to taste.
Storage
This lentil salad will keep up to 4 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Serving Suggestions
Serve with our Moroccan Chicken or our Moroccan Rice.
More recipes you may enjoy
- Mediterranean Lentil Salad
- Lentil Salad with Spring Veggies, Mint and Yogurt
- Lentil Salad with Apples, Walnuts and Celery Root
- Beet, Lentil and Spinach Salad with Pomegranate Dressing
- Indian Spinach Salad with Lentils & Cauliflower
- Celery Salad with Lentils, Dates and Almonds
- Lentil Tabouli Salad
- 35 Easy Delicious Potluck Ideas
Hope you enjoy this Moroccan Lentil Salad as much as we have! Let us know what you think in the comments below
Happy summer! 🙌
xoxo
Watch How to make it
Moroccan Lentil Salad Recipe
- Prep Time: 20
- Cook Time: 20
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 6-8 1x
- Category: Legumes, lentil recipes, vegan salad
- 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 (try to use whole black lentils, brown lentils, green lentils- split lentils can easily overcook and turn to mush)
- 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
- 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 ½ of the orange, adding more to taste after.
- 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. Add more orange juice to taste.
Notes
This is will keep 4 days in the fridge.
Dry Lentils: 1 ½ cups of dry lentils make roughly 4 cups of cooked lentils.
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.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 359
- Sugar: 21.7 g
- Sodium: 337.3 mg
- Fat: 13 g
- Saturated Fat: 1.7 g
- Carbohydrates: 50.6 g
- Fiber: 14 g
- Protein: 14.2 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
This was so good! Definitely recommend 🙂
Awesome Alex!
This is super tasty! Letting the fresh lentils soak on the fresh orange juice makes the whole dish pop with vibrant flavors. What a wonderful salad to make on a Sunday for weekday lunches!
Glad you enjoyed this!
I couldn’t believe how good this was! It has a sweetness that makes lentils appealing, for once 🙂 I added a chopped red bell pepper and will probably add a chopped carrot next time … it can take more veges. I also used a Clementine tangerine, which was really good. Thank you Sylvia!
I’m so happy you enjoyed this Daria!
This salad was amazing. Will be a regular from now on
Great to hear Ruth!
I loved this recipe, the spice mix is excellent. I used black lentils and the cooking time was closer to 20 minutes for me. It’s the first recipe I have tried here, so we are off to a good start! 🙂
Great to hear Isabelle!
Perfection. I make this very often and the whole batch gets eaten in no time. Thank you for this recipe!
Thanks so much Jo!
This is so delicious. It’s refreshing while still being quite filling. If you’re not saving it for the week’s lunches (as I am), you might add orange supremes. Otherwise it is perfect!
I love the orange idea- sounds tasty and fresh!
Can I omit the vinegar my daughter hates it 🤣 or can I substitute with something else x
Well you may lose the balance of the salad. You could try lemon/ orange juice to taste?
Thank you I will try some orange juice x
This salad is amazing! I made it with dates as I prefer them to apricots and added carrot for color and more veggies. This will definitely become a regular. I did have to cook the puy lentils closer to 20 mins however.
Thanks Erin!
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.
Simply delicious! I substituted dates for apricots and it worked really well. I am definitely making this again soon.
Awesome-glad you enjoyed!
I’ve just made this to accompany dinner tonight and I can hardly wait to eat it. I followed the recipe with no substitutions although I was a little light on celery and I didn’t have any kale. I added a little extra lentils, apricots and nuts instead. I mixed everything up and tried a tablespoon before putting in the fridge. My head almost blew up. It was so good. This is going to be one of my new favorites although I feel I say that about all your recipes! You ROCK it every week. Thanks Sylvia
Thanks so much Trudy- appreciate you! xoxo
This is so delicious. It makes me happy to cut down on meat and this may be the best veg recipe I have,
Thank you so much for this recipe! I made it and it’s delicious. I added some kale and did it without almonds as I’m allergic, I also used puy lentils but otherwise followed the recipe exactly and will definitely be doing so again! I had it as a side to a vegan chicken wrap but tomorrow I can’t wait to try it as its own dish with avocado and vegan feta.
The recipe was very good. We ate it at room temperature
This is the real deal! I added blanched chopped kale; it is a meal in and of itself, but we chose to serve it with chicken shawarma. I never leave ratings and comments but felt this one deserved it! Will be making this often!
Appreciate it so much Carla!
Enjoyed this delicious salad very much. Added arugula. My family liked it too, so I guess this salad is a keeper.
YUM! I brought this salad to my 80 year old mother, and she said it is her favorite of all the things I have made. Last week I made the Lentil Walnut Apple salad, and it was so good I had to try another. Hard to say which is better…easy to say I LOVE THIS SALAD!!
Thanks so much- glad you liked!
I plan to this tomorrow for lunch, but I don’t have an orange. Can I sub lemon for the orange? Or should I just omit that part?
Thanks!
The orange really rellay elevates this here. I suppose you could try lemon.
Thank you, I’ll def add it next time! I used sherry vinegar and omitted the citrus (lomon), and it is delicious! I’ll for sure be making this again! 🙂
This is super fresh and yummy. I added carrots and green onion and a bit of ras el hanout in the dressing