Lentil Salad with Feta
This Lentil Salad with Feta is a healthy, delicious bowl of perfectly cooked lentils, crunchy carrots, celery, shallots, and fresh parsley, dressed with my bright Easy Lemon Dijon Dressing. The final flourish is salty Feta cheese for the win.
Main ingredients and substitutions
- Cooked lentils – you can use pre-cooked lentils for this salad or cook your own. Any type of cooked lentil works for this salad. And honestly, any kind of legume works too.
- Celery – for crunch and texture.
- Carrots – for that slight sweetness and crunch.
- Fresh herbs – Parsley and dill are perfect in this salad. Any combination of fresh herbs is delicious and highly recommended.
- Shallots – you can use any type of onion for this, but shallots are my favorite for flavor.
- Feta cheese – optional but very complementary. Goat cheese and fresh mozzarella are excellent in this salad.
- A bright salad dressing like my Easy Lemon Dijon Dressing is perfect for this salad. It’s full of lemony flavor for the ultimate Mediterranean taste.
How to make this salad
I love my Lemon Dijon Dressing on this salad, but you can also use a Balsamic Vinaigrette, red wine vinaigrette, or champagne vinaigrette. I wouldn’t use a creamy dressing on this salad. Creamy dressings overpower the salad.
Use a medium-sized bowl and add cooked lentils. Chop the celery and carrots into small pieces and add them to the bowl. Finely chop the shallot and add it to the bowl. Chop up some herbs and toss them in. Add the crumbled Feta cheese and toss with the dressing. Taste for salt and add fresh ground pepper.
Tried and true tips
- If you cook your own lentils, make sure you don’t overcook them. Overcooked lentils will make this salad mushy.
- Peel the carrots. Sometimes the carrot skins taste slightly bitter.
- Chop carrots and celery finely. Just works better with small lentils.
- I like to toss the Feta into the salad, but you can opt to top it when you serve it.
- If you make my Lemon Dijon dressing, you will have leftovers. Keep it if you have leftover salad. The dressing absorbs slightly into the salad, and a little drizzle brightens it again.
- This is a perfect salad for meal prep. It holds up really well for weekday lunches and snacks.
- I love this lentil salad on a bed of arugula! So good with peppery arugula. Spinach is my second favorite.
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All content and photographs ©Claudia’s Table and claudiastable.com
If you love bean and grain salads, try these!
Lentil Salad with Feta
Equipment
- 1 medium bowl
Ingredients
Lentil Salad with Feta
- 2 1/2 cups cooked lentils
- 1 small shallot finely chopped
- 1/2 cup carrots finely chopped
- 1/2 cup celery finely chopped
- 1/2 cup parsley (or any mix of fresh herbs) chopped
- 1/2 cup Feta cheese crumbled
- 1/3 cup Easy Lemon Dijon Dressing
Instructions
- Use a medium-sized bowl and add cooked lentils.
- Chop the celery and carrots into small pieces and add them to the bowl.
- Finely chop the shallot and add it to the bowl.
- Chop up some herbs and toss them in.
- Add the crumbled Feta cheese and toss with the dressing.
- Taste for salt and add fresh ground pepper.
Notes
Storage:
Use an airtight container. You can keep the lentil salad in the fridge for up to a week. You may need a little more dressing upon serving.Nutrition
Nutritional information is calculated online and should be used as a guide.
All content and photographs ©Claudia’s Table and claudiastable.com
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