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This Beet Lentil Saladis a fantastic side dish or light meal! Roasted beets and French lentils are combined with leafy greens, vegan feta, and toasted hazelnuts, then tossed in a warm, flavor-packed garlic dressing. Vegan and Gluten-Free, Nut-Free Option.
This Beet & Lentil Salad with Garlic Dressing is a hearty dish you’ll love as a side, lunch, or light dinner. It combines the hearty, satisfying duo of French lentils and roasted beets with arugula, fresh herbs, toasted nuts, and vegan feta cheese. I dressed it in an earthy, tangy garlic dressing to finish, packing every bite with mouthwatering flavors.
Table of Contents
A Salad with Un-beet-able Flavors
I love a “star status” salad. You know, like one of those salads that’s made with beautiful greens, a rainbow of vegetables, interesting textures, and a dressing you’d think came from a gourmet restaurant. My Beet and Lentil Salad is exactly that. ⭐
I chose French lentils for this salad because they hold their shape and give it a sophisticated, nutty bite that pairs so perfectly with the earthy roasted beets. And the garlic dressing? It’s on an entirely different level! Inspired by an Indian tadka, it lightly fries garlic and spices before combining them with maple syrup and lemon juice, then poured the dressing over the salad while it was still warm.
From the satisfying and wholesome ingredients to the layers of flavor in the dressing, this is the vegan lentil salad of my dreams.
Ingredients for Beet Lentil Salad
Cooked French lentils transform this salad into a full-on main dish. They’re my favorite for salads because of their firm texture and an earthy flavor that tastes like it was made to be paired up with roasted beets.
If you want to experiment, here are more types of lentils that work in salads:
- Black Lentils: the closest substitute for French lentils.
- Green/Brown Lentils: both will work, but tend to become a bit mushy after cooking.
- Canned Lentils: again, they’ll be on the softer side, but they’re a great time-saving swap. Remember to drain, rinse, and pat them dry.
Aside from cooked lentils, you also need:
- Roasted Beets: they’re bright, earthy, and sweet. Plus, they’re really easy to cook in the oven using my Roasted Beets Guide.
- Baby Arugula: these peppery greens bring a whole layer of complex flavor to this salad. If arugula isn’t your thing, use baby spinach or finely chopped kale instead.
- Fresh Herbs: handfuls of fresh parsley, mint leaves, and green onions add a burst of freshness.
- Warm Garlic Dressing: this warm dressing is really special. Lightly fried garlic cloves, whole seeds, and seasonings are combined with lemon and maple syrup to complement the earthy, peppery layers here.
How to Make a Beet and Lentil Salad
- Cook the lentils in the vegetable broth and water until tender. Drain and set aside to cool.
- Warm the oil in a small pot. Meanwhile, add the garlic, cumin, coriander, fennel, and chili flakes to a heat-safe bowl.
- Pour the hot oil over the garlic and spices. Once it stops sizzling, stir in the maple syrup, lemon juice, and salt.
- Toss the cooked lentils and beets with the garlic dressing in a large bowl. Fold the arugula, parsley, onion, and mint into the lentil mixture. Sprinkle the hazelnuts and feta on top.
- Serve the salad right away or chill it in the fridge before serving. Enjoy!
Caitlin’s Cooking Tips
- Season the lentils from the start. I almost always cook dry lentils in vegetable broth to infuse them with savory flavors from the very beginning. For even more flavor, you can also add one or two bay leaves, lemon peel, and whole seeds (like cumin or coriander seeds) to the cooking broth.
- Cook the lentils in the Instant Pot. When I want to save some time, I’ll cook the lentils in my Instant Pot. I add the rinsed lentils to the pot with only 1 3/4 cups of vegetable broth, seal it shut, and cook on manual high pressure for 8 minutes. To finish, I immediately release the pressure and then drain the lentils.
- Chilling the salad for 15 to 20 minutes makes a big difference. It may sound like a short amount of time, but WOW does it give the flavors a chance to mingle and deepen. Your salad will taste way more complex with a little patience.
How to Make Beet Lentil Salad for Meal Prep
When making this recipe for meal prep I like to layer my ingredients in these large glass jars. This allows the heartier ingredients to marinate in the dressing, while the tender greens and herbs stay crisp and fresh. Just divide all of the ingredients equally between however many jars you’d like to prep – I usually do 3 or 4 jars for this recipe.
- Make the dressing according to the recipe instructions, but divide it equally between your jars instead of tossing with the beets and lentils
- Add in the cooked lentils, then top with roasted beets.
- Top the beets off with arugula, green onions, the herbs, and a sprinkle of feta on top.
- Seal the jars, then store in the fridge for up to 5 days. Dump the jar into a large bowl to serve, mix well, then sprinkle with chopped hazelnuts and dig in!
How to Store Lentil Salad & Serving Suggestions
If you have leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Just keep in mind that the greens and herbs will eventually wilt under the weight of the dressing, and the beets will stain everything pink (not a bad thing necessarily, just not great for presenting).
Want to make this salad ahead of time? You can roast the beets, make the dressing, and cook the lentils up to 2 days ahead of assembling the salad. Just keep everything in separate containers in the fridge until you’re ready to eat.
When I want to eat this salad as a meal, I’ll toss it with a scoop of cooked quinoa, farro, or brown rice, or serve it with a slice of this No-Knead Whole Wheat Bread. If you’d prefer to serve it as a side dish, I’d recommend pairing it with something light, like this Roasted Zucchini Sandwich or a bowl of this Hearty Cabbage Soup.
If you’re looking for more show-stopping vegan salads that will fill you up, you’ll also love this Pumpkin Couscous Salad, this Beet & Quinoa Salad, and this Chopped Italian Salad!
Substitutions and Variations
- Hazelnut Substitution: An equal amount of chopped walnuts will work just as well.
- Nut-Free Variation: Or you can use pumpkin seeds instead of hazelnuts.
- Beet Substitute: Not a fan of beets? Dice and roast sweet potatoes, butternut squash, or another root vegetable you like instead.
Enjoy! If you make this recipe and decide to share it on Facebook or Instagram, don’t forget to tag me @FromMyBowl + #FromMyBowl! I would also love it if you could leave a comment below with a recipe rating! Thank you for the support 😊
Fantastic Beet & Lentil Salad with Garlic Dressing
Ingredients
For the Garlic Dressing:
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 garlic clove crushed or finely minced
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds or sub 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon coriander seeds optional; or sub 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds optional
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed chili or chili flakes optional
- 2 teaspoons grade A maple syrup
- Juice and zest of 1 small lemon about 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
For the Salad:
- 1 cup dry French lentils
- 2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
- 1 cup water
- 12 ounces roasted beets, cut into 1” segments (homemade or store-bought; about 2-3 large beets)
- 3 ounces baby arugula
- 1/2 bunch parsley stems removed and finely chopped
- 3 green onions thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons fresh mint finely chopped
- 1/3 cup chopped toasted hazelnuts
- 1/3 cup feta cheese I used dairy-free (optional)
Instructions
- Cook the Lentils: Rinse the lentils well, then add them to a pot with the vegetable broth and water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to medium low and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the lentils are tender. Drain and set aside to cool. (Note: lentils can be cooked and stored in the fridge up to 2 days in advance. They can also be cooked in the instant pot; see the recipe notes)
- Make the Dressing: Warm the oil in a small pot over medium heat until it begins to shimmer. In the meantime add the garlic, cumin, coriander, fennel, and chili flakes to a heat-safe bowl or dish. Pour the hot oil over the garlic and spices; they should immediately start to sizzle. Swirl the mixture gently while it cooks; once the sizzling stops stir in the maple syrup, lemon juice, and salt. Set aside
- Assemble: Add the cooked lentils and beets to a large bowl and pour the dressing on top of them. Gently mix together, until everything is evenly coated in dressing. Add the arugula, parsley, onion, and mint to the bowl and gently fold into the lentil mixture. Sprinkle the hazelnuts and feta on top.
- Serve & Store: Serve immediately, or chill the salad in the fridge for 15 to 20 minutes if desired. Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Recipe Notes
- Instant Pot Lentils: You can also cook the lentils in the instant pot. Add the rinsed lentils to the pot with only 1 3/4 cup of vegetable broth. Seal the pot and cook on manual high pressure for 8 minutes, then immediately release the pressure and drain the lentils.
- Lentil Substitutions: I recommend using firmer dry lentils for this recipe, like French lentils or black lentils. You can also make this recipe with green lentils, but they are softer and will be a little more mushy after cooking. You can also make this recipe with canned lentils (again, they will be softer) as long as you thoroughly drain and pat dry first.
- Hazelnut Substitution: Replace with equal parts chopped walnuts, or pumpkin seeds for a nut-free option
- Meal Prep Jar Instructions: Divide the dressing between large glass jars, then layer the lentils, beets, arugula, onion, herbs, and feta on top. Seal the jar and keep in the fridge for up to 5 days; dump into a large bowl and mix well before serving, then sprinkle with hazelnuts.
