Looking for a salad recipe that isn’t boring? You’ve got to make this spicy vegan lentil salad with lemon tahini dressing. Because this baby is ANYTHING but boring.
Packed with tons of herbs (think cilantro, parsley and mint), along with arugula, brown rice and lentils. This salad is chock full of veggies and super nutrients dense.
And to make it even better, everything gets tossed together in a lemon tahini dressing. This really is the best lentil salad ever!
But it gets better! Because unlike most salads that are cold and soggy. I made this into a spicy, cozy and warm lentil salad. Perfect for fall and winter when you still want to get in veggies but you also need something cozy.
You’re welcome!
So let’s get into ingredients you’ll need, tips and tricks, questions you may have and more. Or if you just want to make this, click here to jump to the recipe.
Spicy Vegan Lentil Salad Ingredients
Here’s your grocery list for this salad, along with a few suggestions and substitution ideas. Keep in mind that the full recipe is in the recipe card below.
And yes, this is one of those recipes with a long list of ingredients, but don’t let that deter you. Because this salad couldn’t be easier to make!
- Arugula — if you don’t like this flavor of arugula, spinach also works well
- Parsley
- Cilantro
- Mint (as in fresh mint)
- Black lentils
- Brown rice — psa that you can also use white rice (it’s not “bad for you”, that’s a big myth)
- Cherry tomatoes
- Red Onion
- Tahini
- Lemon juice
- Fresh Garlic
- Spices — cumin, black pepper, cayenne pepper and garam masala to be exact
How to Make The Lemon Tahini Dressing
This creamy tahini dressing is tangy, sweet and ultra creamy. And pairs perfectly with this warm lentil salad.
And unlike store-bought dressings, this one isn’t packed with unnecessary calories, cane sugar or additives.
The best part of the dressing is that you literally stir all of the ingredients together and the dressing is done. It takes max 5 minutes to whip up!
One note, if you like your dressing on the thicker side, I would start with half the amount of water and increase it as needed.
Lastly, I recommend mixing the ingredients together with a whisk to ensure that the dressing emulsifies completely — a spoon usually doesn’t do the greatest job.
Frequently Asked Questions For This Vegan Lentil Salad
Can I substitute the rice?
Absolutely! White rice is a great substitute if you want something that takes less time to cook. But farro and red quinoa are also great higher-protein options.
Do I have to use black lentils?
You can use french green lentils or just regular green lentils. Both work well, but I like the texture of the black lentils best in this salad.
Can I store the dressing?
Yes, you can pop the dressing in a glass container and store it in the fridge for up to 3 days. Any longer than that and the lemon juice will start to change the flavors of the dressing.
Is this salad healthy?
Without a doubt, this warm roasted tomato and lentil salad is one of the healthiest dinners you could make. It’s packed with 11 different whole-food plants and has two sources of plant protein from both the lentils and brown rice. Plus, all of the veggies add in tons of essential micronutrients.
Meal-Prep this Vegan Lentil Salad
If you want to take this salad to work or school, here’s how to prep it the night before.
- Begin by making the dressing and then pop it into a small condiment container or mini tupperware.
- Next, add all of the greens (arugula, parsley, cilantro and mint) into a glass tupperware along with the tomatoes and onion.
- In a separate container add in the cooked brown rice and cooked lentils.
- Store everything in the fridge.
- When you’re ready to eat this salad, warm the rice and lentils together in the oven or microwave until piping hot. Then add it on top of the greens and veggies, pour over the dressing and toss everything together.
- One note on the dressing, as it sits in the fridge it’ll thicken up a lot. So you’ll need to add a splash of water and whisk it quickly to get it to a runny consistency again.
Even More Healthy Salad Bowl Recipes
Looking for even more healthy salad bowl recipes? Here are three of my favorite bowls that I have almost every week!
Made This Recipe?
Please leave a review below and don’t forget to snap and picture and tag me on Instagram or TikTok at @munchingwithmariyah — I love seeing your photos!
Spicy Vegan Lentil Salad
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 1 person 1x
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: American, Indian
Description
Looking for a salad recipe that isn’t boring? You’ve got to make this spicy vegan lentil salad with lemon tahini dressing. Because this baby is ANYTHING but boring.
Ingredients
Lentil Salad
- ¼ cup Black lentils ((feel free to buy pre-cooked lentils from the store to save on time))
- ¼ cup Brown rice ((feel free to use white rice to save on time))
- 2 cups Arugula, roughly chopped
- ½ cup Cilantro, finely chopped ((measure by packing the cilantro tightly into the cup))
- ½ cup Parsley, finely chopped ((measure by packing the parsley tightly into the cup))
- 3 medium Fresh Mint leaves, finely chopped
- ½ cup Cherry tomatoes
- ⅛ cup Red onion, cubed into small pieces
Tahini Dressing
- 1 tbsp Tahini
- 1 tbsp Lemon juice
- 2 tbsp Water
- 1 clove Garlic, finely chopped or grated
- ¼ tsp each Cumin powder, Salt and Black pepper
- ⅛ tsp each Cayenne pepper and Garam Masala
Instructions
- The night before soak the lentils in a bowl of water.
- When you're ready to start making dinner, drain the bowl of lentils and rinse thoroughly — the water will be a purple/black color, this is totally normal. Rinse the lentils until the water runs clear.
- Add the lentils into a pot and fill with water until the lentils are completely submerged. Place the pot on the stove and turn the heat onto high. Once the lentils are boiling, reduce the heat to medium, add in a large pinch of salt, and let the lentils continue to cook for 25-30 minutes. The lentils should be soft but still have some bite when they're done.
- Once the lentils are cooking, make the brown rice according to package instructions.
- While the rice and lentils cook, chop the arugula, cilantro, parsley and mint. The goal here is make the greens super small and fine so the salad feels more like a grain bowl. Once the greens are chopped, add them into a bowl.
- Chop the cherry tomatoes into halves or quarters and add them into the bowl along with the chopped onions.
- Next, make the tahini dressing. Simply add all of the ingredients into a small bowl or jar and whisk together well. The dressing might look separated in the beginning, but as you whisk you'll notice a magical transformation. The dressing will become thick and creamy and super silky. At this point, adjust for salt and add in a little more if you like the dressing on the thinner side.
- Once the lentils and rice are done cooking, add them into the bowl of greens and vegges. I recommend adding in the lentils and rice while they're still piping hot so you can have a warm and cozy salad bowl.
- Drizzle over the tahini dressing and toss to combine. Add salt to taste and enjoy!
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