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’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. 🙂
Moroccan Lentil Salad Video
Lentil Salad Ingredients:
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 ground clove– very flavorful!
Why I 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.
- The leftover salad tastes better and better each day.
- Can be made ahead! Perfect for gatherings and potlucks or midweek meals.
- It’s vegan and gluten-free!
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
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Moroccan Lentil Salad
- Prep Time: 20
- Cook Time: 20
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 6-8 1x
- 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 (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
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 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 is delicious! It is a bit of work but it feels worth it because you end up with a good bit of it. I was glad I had cooked my lentils the day before. Such good flavor.
Thanks Kim, glad it was worth it!
Really delicious salad and dressing. Had to make a couple of changes- fresh peach instead or orange, cranberries instead of apricots and brown lentils instead of black. Loved it, and looking forward to left overs with tuna tomorrow for lunch.
Awesome to hear Marilla!
I’m trying to make 1/2 recipe and the amount of dry lentils is the same as for 1X recipe
Sorry about that Denise, the multiplier is acting up. You would need ¾ cup dried lentils.
This is wonderful. Didn’t have apricots so used dried cherries. Perfect!
Great!
I know the recipe said not to use split lentils, but I had a lot of them here, so I did use them. Everything tasted great and can’t imagine what the difference would be. Great recipe!
Ok great to hear Robin! I hesitate to use them because they can overcook so quickly and can turn to mush! You cooked them properly- well done!
Could this be made using canned lentils? I just found them in my supermarket and haven’t used them yet.
Yes, just drain them.
Really delicious. I used French green lentils, honey (orange blossom), red wine vinegar, mix of all 3 herbs, slivered almonds, and 2 pinches of Aleppo pepper. Only change was to quick pickle the chopped red onion. Chef’s kiss! Thank you for the wonderful recipe 🙂
So glad you enjoyed, love hearing your process!
bright and delicious!!
Glad you enjoyed Nicholas!
Can I mix in the salad dressing the day before or should I wait to just before serving? Even without the dressing, it’s very tasty.
You can add it in right away! It will keep up to 4 days in the fridge-the flavors just deepen.
Amazing flavors and textures! What a vibrant dish.
Glad you enjoyed Valerie!
Excellent!
thanks!
Absolutely delicious. This was a wonderful blend of flavours and textures.
Thanks so much!
Reposted because I forgot star rating. This was delicious – the flavor was so refreshing, and the meal was perfectly light for those of us living in this ridiculous Los Angeles heat. I ate this for breakfast the next day. Question, how much orange juice would you say should be added to the dressing as far as tablespoons, 1/4 cups, etc. My orange was quite large, and I thought there was maybe too much dressing and a tad bit too much orange flavor. I corrected this with more spices, etc
Glad you enjoyed this! I see your point about the orange and updated the instructions. Thanks so much!
Fantastic and filling. The combination of flavors is very tasty. Every time I make to an event, people ask for the recipe.
Awww… thanks and perfect!
This is delicious! I served it to friends at a luncheon and it received rave reviews.
Great to hear Brenda! Thank you. 🙂
This recipe is wonderful! I’d never cooked with lentils before and want to start, this was my first attempt. I made it for an Easter dinner and again today for a dinner party. Twice in less than a month! And, yes, it really does hold up well for days and any leftovers make an excellent lunch! Prep takes me longer than 20 minutes because I’m a slow chopper, but it comes together quickly and easily. Thank you for another stellar recipe!
Thanks so much Heidi!
Good, easy to make lunch to bring to work. Heed her advice and taste the dressing before adding it to lentil mix for salt preference. I didn’t as I don’t usually add salt but this needed it! The orange juice and apricots make it very sweet but adding salt took it from 🥴 to 👍👍
Thanks, Christina!
Delicious. My husband was not impressed when he saw we were having lentil salad but he was definitely pleasantly surprised. Love this recipe
So happy it worked out. Ya, my husband reacts the same but then goes for seconds. 🙂
Delicious, complex blend of flavors! We were nervous of the cloves but they’re a must. Have made this recipe several times and always a hit. Thank you!
So happy to hear JC!
The perfect lentil salad !
Thanks Irene!
I was wondering if you could make this something other than the lentils for variety..edamame, farro?
Hi Janet- I don’t see why not? Give it a go!
I made this recipe again for a family reunion and it was a huge hit! No leftovers! For the lazy cooks out there, I used orange juice instead of a fresh orange + zest and it was just as good as the original. Thanks, I love your recipes!
Forgot to put the 5 stars!
Thanks so much!
Great to hear!
Yum!!! This is fantastic! I have a celery hater in my home so I substituted fresh fennel. I’m going to have to make a double batch next time if I want any leftovers for the week. Thank you!
Fennel sounds great! Glad you enjoyed!
This is a delicious recipe! It has become one that we go to quite often! Same for a friend I shared it with. She loved it to and said it would be one of her new go to recipes. Thanks!
Thanks so much Charlotte!
This recipe is delicious. I used very little oil and kept everything else the same. Will be a regular meal for sure. Would this recipe freeze well?
Great to hear Eva. Not sure how the herbs would fare when frozen? Maybe add those after?