Mediterranean Lentil Salad with Chickpeas
Easy Mediterranean lentil salad with chickpeas is a high-protein vegetarian dish that can be made in just 40 minutes! The earthy lentils and firm chickpeas pair well with the salty feta and crunchy chopped veggies.
Ingredients
- 1 cup French green lentils
- 3 cups of water
- 1 bayleaf
- 1 clove of garlic
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 (15) oz can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1 red bell pepper diced
- 4 Persian cucumbers or 1 English cucumber, diced
- ½ cup red onion diced
- ½ cup feta cheese crumbles
- ¼ cup parsley chopped
For the Dressing:
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- ½ tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 clove of garlic finely minced
- ¼ teaspoon oregano
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Add the lentils, water, bayleaf, whole garlic clove and ½ teaspoon of salt to a medium saucepan. Bring the lentils to a boil, then drop the heat to low, cover and simmer for 25 minutes. Drain any excess water and discard the bayleaf and garlic clove. Allow to cool for 5-15 minutes.
- Mix the dressing together while the lentils cook. Add the red wine vinegar, white wine vinegar, dijon mustard, maple syrup, minced garlic, oregano, ¼ teaspoon of salt, a few grinds of black pepper and olive oil to a mixing bowl. Whisk together.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the cooked lentils, chickpeas, diced pepper, cucumbers, red onion, feta cheese and parsley. Pour over the dressing.
- Gently mix the lentil salad together until the dressing and ingredients have been distributed throughout. Enjoy immediately or cover and refrigerator for 30 minutes until cold.
Notes
- Free free to add in other ingredients such as kalamata or black olives, cherry tomatoes, artichoke hearts or capers.
- Use canned lentils (2 -15 oz cans) and chickpeas for a super quick, no-cook meal!
- Try adding in 2 tablespoon of nutritional yeast to make a creamier dressing, or try miso-nutritional yeast dressing or zesty lemon dressing from my arugula lentil salad recipe for a variation.
- No worries if you don't have both types of vinegar, one or the other will work, but using both helps layer the flavors of the dressing.
- Serve this salad cold or at room temperature. It will last for up to 5 days in an airtight container in the fridge.
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