Lentil Salad Recipe with Ginger Dressing

This cold hearty lentil salad recipe is the perfect vegan salad packed with protein and fiber. This easy salad with ginger dressing comes together fast and is made with lentils, cherry tomatoes, kale and olives.

This lentil salad recipe is a twist on the classic Japanese salad with ginger dressing. The brightness of the ginger dressing and the colors of the cherry tomatoes and kale really brings the lentil salad into summer.

The vegan lentil salad is light, healthy and easy to prepare. The lentil salad is gluten free, vegan and made with ingredients you most likely have on hand. You can make this dish in less than 10 minutes and it is great to bring along to your next summer BBQ.

Ingredients required to make lentil salad with ginger dressing

• LENTILS- Stating the obvious, right? If you want to make the lentil salad in a pinch, purchase canned lentils. To be honest, I always buy the canned lentils (the organic kind) and they are just as good as making it from dry. A can of lentils costs $1.50 or less, so it is affordable and it says you a lot of time. For this cold lentil salad, you can use red lentils, french green lentils, brown lentils or black lentils. I usually stick to brown lentils.
  
• CHERRY TOMATOES – I love cherry tomatoes, especially in a cold lentil salad in the summer. I recommend using organic cherry tomatoes for the lentil salad. You can slice the tomatoes in half, or you can be lazy like me and throw them into the salad whole 🙂
  
• KALE – The lentil salad does need some green! I like to use kale and sauté it for about 3-5 minutes so that it is slightly wilted but still crunchy. If you do not have any kale, you can substitute it with spinach. You can even make this mostly with spinach and make it a spinach salad with lentils.
  
• OLIVES – I enjoy having a pop of saltiness in my lentil salad by adding kalamata olives. You can add any type of olives that you want including green olives, black olives or a mediterranean olive mix. Since this lentil salad is served cold, adding olives just feels right.
  
• Ginger Dressing – The star of the show – the ginger salad dressing. I usually just use store bought, but if I am feeling fancy, I will make my own ginger dressing. My favorite brand to use is the Makoto ginger dressing. Keep reading below for my recipe for homemade ginger dressing 🙂
  

Start by making the ginger dressing

Even though you can buy ginger salad dressing, the lentil salad recipe tastes so much better with homemade dressing. The ginger is fresh and gives the salad a nice summer brightness packed with flavor. Here is how to get started with the ginger dressing:

• Combine olive oil, apple cider vinegar, dijon mustard, maple syrup, and freshly grated ginger in a large bowl.
  
• Whisk all of the ingredients together until fully incorporated.
  
• Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Taste the dressing and make any adjustments you see fit. If you like your dressing sweeter, add more maple syrup, or if you like tang, add more apple cider vinegar. This dressing goes great on my Kale Salad Recipe or drizzled on top of my Perfect Pan-roasted Broccoli.

Recommended store bought ginger salad dressing

If you can’t find Makoto ginger dressing, here are two other ginger dressings I recommend for purchase on Amazon:

1. Wu Japanese Ginger Dressing
2. Wafu Japanese Carrot Ginger Dressing

Prep the kale

If you prefer to eat the kale raw, then you can skip this step in the lentil salad recipe. I prefer to have sautéd kale in my lentil salad and it only takes 3-5 minutes. Or, just swap the kale for spinach. Both taste great! To prep the kale:

• Wash off the kale to remove excess dirt
  
• Roughly chop the kale into bite sized pieces. Kale leaves can be pretty big so it is best to chop it up so you are not chewing large chunks of kale LOL
  
• In a small skillet, sauté the kale for 3-5 minutes. It should just become slightly wilted, but still have a crisp and crunchy bite.

How to make Lentil Salad with Ginger Dressing

Everything comes together very fast in this lentil salad recipe and since it is served cold, there is minimal prep involved. Like I mentioned before, you may want to sauté the kale a few minutes in a skillet over medium heat so that it is easier to eat and less bitter. Or, just substitute it with spinach.

• Drain the canned lentils and rinse in a colander. You want to rinse the lentils to remove all of the salty soaking liquid.
  
• Next, combine the lentils, olives, cherry tomatoes and chopped kale or spinach in a large bowl. Gently toss the salad together before adding the dressing.
  
• Lastly, pour on your ginger salad dressing. Toss the lentil salad gently with two large spoons. Be careful not to smash the lentils and make them mushy (this is why canned lentils works best because they still maintain their structure and bite.)

P.S. Have you tried my Kale Caesar Salad recipe?

Variations of this cold lentil salad recipe

• Mediterranean Lentil Salad – Combine lentils, tomatoes, cucumbers, olives, capers and parsley and pair with an olive oil based dressing like olive oil and fresh garlic or a hummus dressing. You can add fresh vegetables like zucchini, mushrooms, roasted red peppers and eggplant. Add anything that gives this salad a Mediterranean taste 🙂
  
• Greek Lentil Salad – Combine lentils, tomatoes, cucumbers, olives, vegan feta cheese (or feta for vegetarian lentil salad), rice wine vinegar, garlic and olive oil. You can throw in some quinoa for extra protein and healthy carbohydrates. The feta cheese is what makes this greek lentil salad absolutely amazing. Also feel free to add in zucchini, eggplant, roasted red peppers, banana peppers, capers, etc.
  
• Mushroom Lentil Salad – I love this lentil salad recipe too! Sauté white button mushrooms or baby portobello mushrooms and combine with lentils, tomatoes and arugula. Spice it up with garlic, olive oil and red chili flakes for some heat. Drizzle some lemon juice on top before serving and you have a delicious mushroom lentil salad ready to serve.
  
• Warm Lentil and Tomato Salad – This is great for a winter salad. Heat up lentils and combine with crushed tomatoes, mushrooms, lemon juice, parsley and chickpeas. Toss in balsamic dressing or a warm garlic olive oil.

Serving and storing

You can make the cold vegan lentil salad with ginger dressing in advance and store in the refrigerator for up to five days. To make in advance for meal prep, store together the lentils, tomatoes, kale and olives in one air-tight sealed container, and then use a mini dressing container separately to keep the ginger dressing. Don’t panic if the ginger salad dressing hardens or congeals – that is the fat from the olive oil. All you have to do is warm it up slightly and it will liquify.

If you are ever hosting a large crowd or participate in a pot luck, the lentil salad with ginger dressing is an easy and affordable option to prepare. The prep work is minimal and the ingredients are pretty cheap. You can get organic lentils in a can for $1-$1.50. Serving the salad is great for large gatherings. You can serve it family style in a big bowl with large serving spoons and transporting it is easy with a large air-tight container. It is also great for meal prepping as you can portion it out for 5 days and it is packed with protein and fiber to keep you energized!