She has also had 16 wellness books published by major publishers including the bestselling Easy GI Diet, The Macro Method, Quit Alcohol (For a Month) and Eat 5. Her books have sold over one million copies.
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If you want to make a salad more satisfying, adding more protein is one way to do it – and lentils make the perfect filling base as they are healthy, budget-friendly and very versatile. Check out our ideas for 20 fantastic lentil-based salad combinations.
Why Put Lentils in Salads?
Well, along with the fact that they are 25 per cent protein with virtually no fat, lentils also contain iron, B vitamins, zinc, magnesium, potassium, and more.
If you’ve been put off eating them because they can trigger gas – lentil salads might be the answer. Cooking and cooling lentils reduces the amount of raffinose they contain, and raffinose is one of the substances in lentils that can cause gas.
Admittedly, you also increase another compound called resistant starch that your gut bugs love to feed on and that too can cause bloating, but that’s also easy to fix. Eat these dishes as a warm lentil salad rather than cooled, as that will reduce the amount of resistant starch produced.
Lentils are also a plant food, so every serving adds one plant point to your weekly totals (and you’ll rack up lots more with the combinations below).
They also mix with all sorts of ingredients that make salads taste good – cheese, yep, fruit yep, roast beef and horseradish – why not?
So, now you know why you should add lentils to your salads, here are 20 tasty suggestions on how to do just that.
1. Cilantro Lentil Salad
Combine lentils with diced cucumber, chopped red pepper and fresh cilantro (coriander). A simple olive oil and red wine vinegar dressing ties the flavors together.
2. Southwest Lentil Salad
Mix lentils with black beans, corn, diced avocado, and red bell pepper on a bed of spinach or other green leaves. Finish with a sprinkle of lime juice or use a ranch or lime-cilantro dressing.
Me – I add Nando’s hot sauce or Tabasco (don’t knock it until you’ve tried it).
3. Thai Lentil Salad
Toss lentils with shredded carrots, red cabbage, scallions or spring onions, chopped peanuts, and a peanut-lime dressing.
To make it a truly authentic Thai-style salad, add some chopped fresh red chillis to the mix. Chillis also increase satiety so it’s a win win.
4. Lentil, Roast Beef and Horseradish Salad
Who said salads had to be bland? Add spicy arugula (rocket), firey radish and a dash of horseradish to some puy lentils and top with slices of rare roast beef.
If you want to cool things down, add ranch dressing, slices of cucumber, apple or some chopped celery.
5. Lentil Tabbouleh
Replace bulgur with lentils in a classic tabbouleh recipe. Mix lentils with parsley, mint, diced tomatoes, cucumber, and a lemon-garlic dressing.
Related Read: Not sure how to make tabbouleh? We’ve got a simple recipe here.
6. Lentil and Roasted Vegetable Salad
Combine lentils with roasted sweet potatoes, zucchini (courgette) and sliced red onion.
As we said in our post on ways to liven up a salad, mixing raw and cooked ingredients adds a mix of textures that make salads more interesting.
This works well with a creamy dressing – or add a little hummus.
7. Lentil and Beet Salad
Toss lentils with roasted beets, goat cheese and walnuts.
Adding crunch (from the walnuts) is another way to make your salad more interesting.
If you want to cut calories, you could also use the soft cheese Quark in this recipe. It won’t crumble the same way, but it will mix with the lentils beautifully, and, it’s the lowest-calorie cheese you can use (see how the other cheeses rank here).
8. Lentil, Bacon & Parsley Salad
Combine lentils with some sauteed onion, fresh chopped parsley and crispy bacon or some pan-fried pancetta.
Top things off with a warm mustard vinaigrette if you want a little extra creaminess.
9. Lentil and Quinoa Salad
Combine lentils with cooked quinoa, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, and a lemon-tahini dressing for a protein-packed meal that will keep you full until dinner time.
10. Lentil and Apple Salad
Mix lentils with diced apples, celery and dried cranberries. Adding fruit to salads shakes the taste up in new, surprising ways.
For an extra flavor kick, add some sesame seeds.
11. Lentil, Cherry Tomato and Parmesan Salad
Toss lentils with chopped cherry tomatoes, diced yellow and red pepper and add shaved Parmesan.
If you can buy cress where you live, a sprinkle on top can add a mustardy kick – if you can’t (hello Australia), add rocket/arugala instead.
12. Lentil Nicoise Salad
Use lentils instead of potatoes in a Nicoise salad. Combine them with green beans, cherry tomatoes, hard-boiled eggs, olives, and a Dijon vinaigrette.
13. Lentil and Cabbage Slaw
Mix lentils with shredded green and purple cabbage, carrots, and a tangy apple cider vinaigrette. The crunch of the cabbage adds texture to the soft lentils.
14. PEP Salad
Poached egg and peanuts! You’ve got a base of lentils; you’re adding peanuts, grilled eggplant (or, if you’re lazy like me, you can use the ready-made deli version), you’re throwing in some chillies and sliced spring onions and some spicy rocket/arugala.
Now top it off with an oozing poached egg!
15. Lentil and Avocado Salad
Let’s make things easy. Just add lentils to sliced avocado, chopped cilantro (coriander), cherry tomato and green onions. Add a sprinkle of grated cheese and you’re done.
16. Lentil and Mango Salad
How often do you add fruits to your salads? Well use this as your starter for ten. .
Combine lentils with diced mango, red bell pepper, green onion, and a chili-lime dressing.
17. Mediterranean Lentil Salad
Combine cooked lentils with sundried tomatoes, arugula (rocket) or spinach, parsley, red onion, Kalamata olives, Goat’s cheese (or feta), and a lemon-olive oil dressing.
18. Warm Lentil and Kale Salad
Toss warm lentils with sautéed kale, garlic, red pepper flakes, and a squeeze of lemon juice.
Cooking kale not only softens it, but it can also help neutralise some of the ingredients in it that aren’t always so great for thyroid health.
19. Lentil and Pomegranate Salad
Toss lentils with pomegranate seeds, fresh parsley, chopped pistachios. The juicy pomegranate seeds and pistachios add a satisfying crunch factor. Again, adding crunch to salads is one way to make them more interesting (see our other tips to help with that here)
20. Lentil and Roasted Pepper Salad
Combine lentils with roasted red peppers, fresh parsley or dill, capers, and a garlic-lemon dressing.
There you have it – 20 ideas of ways to use lentils in salads. And because they go with so many other fruits, vegetables and proteins, there are hundreds of other combinations to try. No wonder lentils are top of the list of the 13 Healthy Things That Should Be in Every Pantry.