Simple Vegan French Lentil Salad (Gluten Free, Soy Free and Oil Free)
This French Lentil Salad has been my favorite lunch lately. It is super healthy and really easy to make. I like to make a big batch of when I meal prep on the weekends. It’s an especially great lunch for my long work days. Lately I’ve found myself eating it like a dip with tortilla chips.
Have you tried French lentils? They hold their shape after cooking which makes them the perfect legume for this salad. French lentils are an excellent source of protein and fiber. Combine that with the nutrition of a variety of veggies and you end up with a meal that is colorful and really good for you.
Making this salad is pretty straight forward but there is one secret I have to offer: Before combining everything, allow the raw chopped onions to soak in the lemon juice for 15-20 minutes. This is a trick that works well for both raw onions and garlic. It helps to mellow the flavor a bit.
French Lentil Salad
Ingredients
- 1 cup french lentils (dry)
- 2.5 cups water
- 1 small onion diced
- 1 cucumber diced or shredded
- 1 red bell pepper diced
- 15 cherry or grape tomatoes halved
- 1 bunch fresh parsley finely chopped
- 1/2 cup lemon juice
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp ground coriander
Instructions
Cook the Lentils:
- Bring the water (2 1/2 cups) to a boil in a saucepan. Add the dry lentils.
- Cover and simmer for 25-30 minutes, until lentils are tender.
- Drain the lentils to remove any excess water.
- Allow the lentils to cool.
Prepare the salad:
- In a large bowl, combine the lemon juice, salt, coriander and chopped onion. Allow this mixture to sit for 15-20 minutes to tame the strong flavor of the raw onion.
- To the onion/lemon mixture, add the cooked and cooled lentils along with the remaining vegetables and parsley. Stir well to combine.
- Serve chilled.