Tangy & delicious Lentil Salad with spinach and tomatoes tossed in an easy balsamic-Dijon dressing! Fresh, healthy, nutrient-packed, and great for take-along lunches & meal prep. (Vegan, gluten-free, oil-free)
This recipe is one of our favorite lentil dishes. It looks modest, but the flavors are delightful. Plus the capers add a nice, salty, briny pop.
We like to keep a batch throughout the week for quick snacks or meals. It's a great choice for take-along lunches and meal prep because it stores so well in a sealed container in the refrigerator.
Ingredients for Lentil Balsamic Salad
For this recipe you'll need:
- Green/brown lentils
- Roma tomatoes
- Fresh baby spinach
- Chives (or shallot or green onion)
- Capers
- Balsamic vinegar
- Dijon mustard
- Garlic
I'm a big fan of lentils because they're inexpensive, easy to cook, and pack a big nutrient & protein punch. Hope you enjoy this one as well!
Lentil Salad with Capers and Balsamic-Dijon Dressing
Ingredients
- 1 cup green/brown lentils (uncooked*)
- 3 roma tomatoes (or grape/cherry tomatoes)
- 2 oz. fresh baby spinach
- 1/4 cup chives (or shallot or green onion)
- 2 Tbsp. capers
For the balsamic-dijon dressing:
- 2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
- 1 tsp. Dijon mustard
- 1 clove garlic, minced
Instructions
- Cook lentils: add 4 cups water to a medium pot. Bring to a boil. Then add lentils (rinsed and drained) and reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer for about 20 minutes until firm-tender (not mushy).
- Meanwhile, make the dressing: in a small bowl, add all dressing ingredients and whisk to combine. Set aside.
- Roughly chop spinach and chives. Dice tomatoes. Place in a large bowl.
- When lentils are done cooking, drain, and immediately add to the large bowl. (The heat from the lentils will slightly wilt the spinach.)
- Add the dressing and capers. Stir to combine. Adjust flavors if desired or salt/pepper to taste.
- Enjoy immediately or store covered in the refrigerator for about 4-5 days.
Notes
Nutrition Per Serving (Estimate)
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Come join The Garden Grazer on Instagram and then share a photo if you make or adapt this recipe. (Also please leave a review & star rating below if you give it a try. Your feedback is greatly appreciated - thank you!)
Jan
Tastes yummy and looks wonderful 😋
Kaitlin McGinn
Thanks so much Jan! Wishing you a beautiful week 🙂
Rae Clapper
Making this for lunch tomorrow. Was curious though what is the serving size? I use My Fitness Pal and it would help with my calorie intake. Much appreciated! Rae C.
Unknown
Do you serve this hot or cold?
Kaitlin | The Garden Grazer
I usually serve it room temp or chilled but you could certainly try it warm too if that's your style! 🙂
Skye Travis
Oh my goodness! This was so delicious!! Even my 10 yr old and 13 yr old had seconds. It was quick and easy. I must add that I'm glad Beverly is my neighbor because I had to borrow the balsamic vinegar from her at the last minute (turns out my son used the last of mine to make his own mysterious recipe). Thank you for another fantastic keeper!
Kaitlin | The Garden Grazer
Hi Skye! Haha "mysterious recipe", I love it! Sounds like you've got a future chef on your hands 😉 Beverly texted me the night you came over to borrow it and it made me smile! So glad you all enjoyed it! Hope you've had a lovely summer!
Sara
Hi thanks for the recipe, the combination of capers, lentils and tomatoes with the dressing is very tasty! i have a hard time adding capers to a dish without overpowering, this is nicely balanced. 🙂
Kaitlin | The Garden Grazer
Thank you!
Kate Kanner
Hey there, I just made this for dinner exactly as written and it's really good! Very simple to put together. I will enjoy having the leftovers for lunch 🙂
Kaitlin | The Garden Grazer
So great to hear! Thanks for sharing your kind feedback 🙂