This Greek Lentil Salad is served cold, tossed in a classic olive oil and red wine vinegar dressing with garlic and herbs. You’ll love this healthy and refreshing salad served as is, or add it to lettuce wraps, a pita pocket, or a bed of greens!
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This recipe was born from a craving for Greek Lentil Soup during a heat wave, when there was no way I was cooking up a batch let alone eating it.
This Greek Lentil Salad is inspired by the flavors of my recipe for Greek Lentil Soup. Mint, oregano, onions, celery, garlic, olive oil and red wine vinegar (which is drizzled into the soup when serving!), and of course lentils.
Plus feta cheese and cucumbers because, yum :-)
I loved eating this salad on its own, but it was also delightful in lettuce wraps or a pita pocket for a super light meal! And it holds up really well in the fridge without getting soggy, so it was perfect even a few days after I made it.
Hope you enjoy this refreshing and healthy lentil recipe!
Ingredients and Substitutions
- French Green Lentils – these cook fast and hold their shape, making them perfect for salad. See below for other options!
- Celery
- Cucumbers
- Feta Cheese – for a vegan or dairy free version, omit or replace with a vegan substitute.
- Fresh mint – or dill, basil, tarragon, or other delicate fresh herb.
- Red wine vinegar
- Dried oregano
- Red Onion
- Garlic
- Olive oil, salt, and pepper
How to make Greek Lentil Salad
First, if you’re not using already cooked lentils, you’ll need to cook the lentils. I like to cook mine with a bay leaf, but you can leave it out if you want. While you’re cooking the lentils, mix up the dressing in the bottom of a large bowl – olive oil, red wine vinegar, dried oregano, onion, garlic, salt, and pepper.
When the lentils are done cooking, drain them and give them a rinse with cold water. Then add to the bowl with the dressing, along with celery, cucumber, feta cheese, and mint. Stir it together and you’re done!
This is a summary of how to make this recipe. Please scroll to the bottom of the post for the full recipe including ingredient amounts and detailed instructions, written in traditional recipe format, or Jump to Recipe.
Using other types of lentils
I prefer French green lentils (I use Bob’s Red Mill Brand) since they cook so quickly and hold their shape. But if you can’t find them or want to use another type, that’s fine! Be sure to use a lentil that holds its shape – brown or green usually do the trick. Stay away from red lentils, which turn to mush. And be sure not to overcook!
Tasty Tip
Use canned lentils to save time and skip cooking all together! Be sure to give drain them and give them a rinse before adding them to the salad.
Should you soak your lentils?
This is up to you. Lentils cook fairly quickly, so the time saving benefit of soaking won’t make much of a difference. However, soaking ALSO helps break down some of the indigestible fibers in lentils and other legumes. This makes them easier to digest.
Personally, I almost always soak my lentils. They don’t need long – just a couple of hours sitting at room temperature (or overnight in the fridge).
How to serve Greek Lentil Salad
This salad is great on its own, but also versatile for how you serve it!
- Add it to lettuce wraps for a refreashing, light meal.
- Stuff a pita pocket with it or add it to a wrap sandwich spread with hummus.
- Serve it on a bed of salad greens.
Other lentil recipes
Greek Lentil Salad
Ingredients
For the Dressing:
- ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- ½ cup finely diced red onion about ½ medium onion
- 1 small clove garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
For the Salad:
- 1 cup French Green Lentils or about 3 cups cooked lentils (see notes for other varieties)
- 1 bay leaf optional
- ½ cup finely diced celery about 2 ribs
- 2 cups diced cucumbers about 1 large cucumber, peeled and seeded if desired
- ¼ cup chopped fresh mint or dill, tarragon, basil, or other delicate herbs.
- 4 oz. crumbled feta cheese
- kosher salt and black pepper
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Instructions
- Sort through and rinse the 1 cup French Green Lentils in a mesh sieve. Add them to a medium pot, along with the 1 bay leaf if using and 1 teaspoon of salt, and cover with 2-3 inches of water. Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer for 20-25 minutes, or until cooked. Be careful not to overcook them as they will turn mushy.
- Meanwhile, in the bottom of a large bowl, mix the dressing ingredients: ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil, 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar, ½ cup finely diced red onion, 1 small clove garlic, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and ½ teaspoon black pepper. Set aside.
- Drain the cooked lentils and give them a quick rinse with cold water. Add them to the bowl with the dressing, along with the ½ cup finely diced celery, 2 cups diced cucumbers, ¼ cup chopped fresh mint, and 4 oz. crumbled feta cheese.
- Mix together to coat everything in the dressing, and taste and season with kosher salt and black pepper if needed. Serve immediately, or store in the refrigerator in an airtight container.
Notes
- Serve this salad on its own, in lettuce wraps, inside a pita pocket or wrap sandwich, or on top of a bed of salad greens.
- French Green Lentils are wonderful for salads because they hold their shape, AND they cook quicker than other varieties. I use Bob’s Red Mill brand. If you want to use another type of lentil, stick with other green or brown varieties that will hold their shape. And keep in mind cooking times will vary.
- To save time, canned lentils can also be used. Be sure to drain and rinse them.
- Soak the lentils before cooking if you want to help break down some of the indigestible fibers. Cover with water and leave for a couple of hours at room temp, or overnight in the fridge.
- For the cucumbers, I recommend using an English cucumber or Persian cucumbers, which have more delicate skin and fewer seeds than conventional cucumbers.
- This salad stays good for many days in the fridge, so it’s a great one to make in advance!
- To make this salad vegan, just swap out the feta for a vegan substitute (or omit it).
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition Information Disclaimer
The provided nutrition information is my best estimate and reflects one serving of the recipe (total servings indicated at top of recipe card). It does not include any added sodium from seasoning to taste, any optional ingredients, and it does not take brands into account. I use an automatic API to calculate this information. Feel free to calculate it yourself using one of these tools:
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