This Spiced Puy Lentil Salad is subtly spiced, fragrantly fruity and loaded with fresh herbs!
Puy lentils can taste pretty boring on their own, but this combination of spices, herbs and dried fruits here work to actually make these lentils something to be excited about. I know!
Just like my Mango Salsa, this Lentil Salad is perfect for this time of year, especially as a side dish for BBQs and dinner parties. It works well paired with meat, fish or veggies and unlike most other side dishes, it's vegan and gluten-free and filled with fibre and protein!
Not only is it great as a side if you're feeding a crowd, this salad is definitely substantial and satisfying enough to make up a whole meal all on its own!
And it actually tastes a lot better made in advance, as this gives the spices time to really develop and soak into the lentils, which means it's also great for packed lunches.
Looking for more similar dishes? You might like my:
- Nectarine Quinoa Buckwheat Tabbouleh
- Edamame Pesto with Soba Noodles
- Sundried Tomato Pesto Pasta Salad
If you try out this recipe or anything else from my blog, I’d really love to hear any feedback! Please give it a rating, leave a comment, or tag a photo #rhiansrecipes on Instagram! Thank you.
Helpful tools to make this Spiced Puy Lentil Salad:
glass mixing bowl
box grater
Spiced Puy Lentil Salad (Vegan + GF)
Ingredients
For the salad:
- 400 g (14oz) tin of puy lentils, drained and rinsed (or sub green lentils)
- Handful of dried apricots, roughly chopped
- Handful of dried cranberries
- Bunch of fresh mint, finely chopped
- Bunch of fresh coriander (cilantro), finely chopped
- 1 small red onion, very finely diced
For the dressing:
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice (or sub apple cider vinegar)
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses (or sub agave syrup or any other sweetener)
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon sweet paprika
- ½ teaspoon (Dijon) mustard
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Salt + pepper, to taste
To serve:
- 2 tablespoons pine nuts
- Optional: 1 carrot, grated or chopped into matchsticks
- Optional: 1 cooked beetroot, diced
Instructions
- Place all the salad ingredients in a large bowl
- Mix together all the ingredients for the dressing in a small bowl
- Pour over the dressing and mix well
- To serve, scatter over pine nuts and add the extra veggies if you wish
Disclosure: This posts contains affiliate links to Amazon. If you purchase any of these products, a small percentage will come to me with no extra cost to you! This income will go towards the running of this blog – thank you.
Belinda
Made this for lunch today - the spices really add something special!
Rhian Williams
Thank you!