This post may contain affiliate links.
Forget everything you ever knew about lentil salad.
It’s not that I don’t LIKE lentil salad, it’s that I usually don’t LOVE it. This, I love.
I usually eat lentil salad wishing there were less lentils. I want more crunch, more texture, more complex flavor. This is my answer to that personal problem, and perhaps to yours too. Just over here doing God’s work, people.
Table of Contents
- 😍 Why You’ll Love My Lentil Chopped Salad with Honey Walnut Dressing
- 👩🍳 How to Make My Lentil Chopped Salad with Honey Walnut Dressing
- 🎩 Tips and Tricks
- 🤲 Substitutions
- 📓 Best served with
- 👝 How to Store Leftover Lentil Chopped Salad
- 🧠 Common Questions
- Lentil Chopped Salad with Honey Walnut Dressing Recipe
😍 Why You’ll Love My Lentil Chopped Salad with Honey Walnut Dressing
This is the ultimate “trough” salad, lots and lots of tiny pieces of vegetables, lentils and cheese dressed with yet another insanely delicious dressing. I eat this with a spoon, or with tortilla chips as a salad dip of sorts. I highly recommend that.
It is also the perfect proportion of tender lentils to crunchy vegetables and creamy dressing. It takes just 20 minutes from start to finish, is vegetarian and can be made vegan by leaving out the feta and swapping honey for maple syrup in the dressing. Easy!
Oh, and speaking of the dressing. This DRESSING! This honey walnut dressing is so delicious, and will teach you to start using nuts as the base of dressings more often. So many possibilities!
👩🍳 How to Make My Lentil Chopped Salad with Honey Walnut Dressing
🫧 Rinse, then cook the lentils until tender.
🍯 While the lentils cook, make the dressing by combining all dressing ingredients in a blender.
🥬 Add all salad ingredients to a large salad bowl.
🥣 Toss the salad with the dressing. I like to do this while the lentils are still a bit warm so they really soak up the dressing well.
🥳 Serve or refrigerate and enjoy all week.
🎩 Tips and Tricks
- Chopping your salad ingredients doesn’t have to be a strenuous activity – in fact, this is the time when you can let less-than-perfect knife skills be what they are. This salad doesn’t call for perfection, and the flavor more than makes up for any oddly sized chunks!
- Tossing the salad while the lentils are still warm mean that they soak up the dressing really well, so you never miss out on any flavor!
🤲 Substitutions
- If you prefer not to make your own lentils, you can buy them pre made at places like Trader Joe’s and it’ll save you a step.
- Quinoa or farro can be substituted for the lentils for a totally different take on this salad. Still delicious!
- If you don’t have honey, maple syrup can be used in the dressing.
- No walnuts for the dressing? Use almonds or hazelnuts.
- Goat cheese is also quite nice in this salad in place of the feta cheese.
📓 Best served with
- By itself – as a hungry lady salad!
- With your favorite dipping chips as a salad-dip of sorts
- Paired with a delicious meat-main at your next dinner party
👝 How to Store Leftover Lentil Chopped Salad
Store in your favorite air-tight container and refrigerate for up to a week. This is the perfect meal-prep recipe for back-to-school season, or if you want to be prepared for whatever the week throws your way!
🧠 Common Questions
Split peas are the closest alternative, but you could also try beans instead or even reach for some quinoa.
If you have a mandoline on hand, now is its time to shine!
Lentil Chopped Salad with Honey Walnut Dressing
Equipment
- 1 medium saucepan
- 1 High speed blender
Ingredients
- 2 cups dried green lentils
- 2 cups green cabbage, chopped fine
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
- 3 green onions, white and green parts, sliced thin
- 2/3 cup feta cheese, broken up
- Kosher salt
Honey Walnut Dressing
- 1/3 cup toasted walnuts
- 1 large garlic clove, smashed and peeled
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 tsp Kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp fresh cracked black pepper
Instructions
- Bring a medium saucepan of heavily salted water to a boil over medium-high heat.
- Rinse dried lentils in a strainer, then add to boiling water.
- Cook for 15-20 until lentils are tender but not falling apart.
- While the lentils cook, make the dressing.
- Add all dressing ingredients to a blender and blend for 20-30 seconds. The dressing should be smooth and thickened, with a little bit of texture from the walnuts.
- When lentils are done, strain and add to a large serving bowl with cabbage, tomatoes, and green onions. Break up the feta and add to the bowl.
- Drizzle the salad with the toasted walnut dressing and toss well.
- Serve, or refrigerate as this will keep well for 4-5 days.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I LOVED this salad and ate it three times in two days. It’s a great salad to take for work because the cabbage is hardy and doesn’t wilt in the refrigerator. The dressing is beyond delicious. I didn’t have ACV, so I used red wine vinegar.
Brittany,
I’m so thrilled, I love the dressing too!
Kat
OMGGGGG this was so GOOD! This dressing is LIFE!! I drizzled a bit more honey overtop my bowl of salad. Ate it in 32.8 seconds. HA!
Tamara,
That sounds like the appropriate timeframe to eat this one in : )
So happy you love it.
Kat
Wow, this recipe is another huge hit in my house! I threw in an extra cup of chopped cabbage just because. I made a tiny bit of extra dressing to make sure I had enough for the extra cup of cabbage and it turned out great! Such a great combo of flavours and textures!
In a pinch you could use 2 cans of drained rinsed canned lentils but I went with the recipe as written and cooked my lentils from dry.
I’ll definitely make this salad again, and I can’t wait to eat it for supper again tomorrow night and the next night!
Melanie,
I’m so thrilled to hear this! It really does stay delicious all week.
Kat
This is probably the best salad I have ever tasted!!
I also made it for company, to rave reviews!!
Vanessa,
This makes me so happy to hear! Thanks for letting me know!
Kat
Hi is the entire batch of the lentil salad 450 calories? 75 cals per portion ?
Hi Carol,
The calorie count is per portion. It’s a very hearty salad, so it’s now “low calorie” in the traditional sense.
Kat
I just made this yesterday and it will be my lunch for the week! I’m so excited to try it! I do have a question though—I imported your recipe directly from your website into MyFitnessPal and was given different nutritional information than what you provided above. MyFitnessPal says 1/6th of the recipe is 298 calories. Do you know why that might be? I double checked and all the ingredients and amounts imported correctly.
Hi Annie,
That’s puzzling… ingredient components and varieties can differ but it should be roughly the same.
I’d go with whichever you trust most!
Kat
I did the same and the ingredients said dried green lentils in the title but boiled in the unit of measure. Once I picked dried lentils it got closer!
Kat – Thanks for this and your many other delicious recipes.
Question: Do you recommend cooling the lentils before mixing? If not, any concern on softening the other ingredients or breaking the dressing?
Reuben,
I let the lentils cool just to room temperature, it also means you can make them ahead if you’d like. Warm lentils won’t break the dressing though, it’s a forgivable recipe!
Kat
Meal prepped this salad for me and my mom this week, we both LOVE it. Trying to incorporate more plant based options into my family’s diet and they couldn’t resist this one. So yummy!
So thrilled to hear this, Hannah!
Kat
Well, I overcooked the lentils and over processed the walnuts but the taste was very good so I’m going to make it again! Hopefully paying more attention. ha!
When you make mistakes and it still tastes good it’s a good sign!
xx Kat
Really tasty and filling. Added some chopped artichokes and green olives to add a little kick. Thank you for the great recipe – especially that dressing!
Katie,
I love these additions, and so glad you made it your own.
Kat
Awesome salad! Will be a regular for me!!
Christine,
Thanks for cooking with me! I’m so happy you love it!
Kat