This Mediterranean lentil salad marries sautéed tomatoes, fresh basil and feta with steamed lentils for a hearty, flavorful vegetarian meal that takes less than 20 minutes to prepare!
I’m really excited because I’ve found another easy weeknight dinner to add to my arsenal! It’s quick, delicious and perfect for summer because it features a bunch of seasonal produce including tomatoes, onions, garlic and basil.
You can totally plan ahead and cook your own lentils, but this dish is an absolute breeze to whip up with pre-cooked, steamed lentils from Trader Joe’s.
I buy these lentils all the time because they’re perfect for tossing together quick meals. Usually I just serve them as a side or use them as a salad topper, but recently I decided to spruce them up a little. The result is the recipe I’m sharing with you today.
Garlic, onions and tomatoes are sautéed with a bit of olive oil then tossed with the lentils, raisins, fresh basil and feta. The sautéed vegetables caramelize and add a nice depth of flavor to the dish while the crumbled feta melts and gives the salad a delicate creaminess.
The dish is versatile and works great as a make-ahead recipe because it tastes delicious served hot or cold. The first night I plated the warm lentil mixture over a bed of fresh spinach with a few chunks of avocado on top. And the next day I served it up the same way for lunch — only as a cold salad. I liked it both ways but the cold version is really refreshing on a hot day.
If you like lentils and Mediterranean flavors, you’re going to L-O-V-E this quick and easy meal. Trust me. 🙂
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This Mediterranean lentil salad marries sautéed tomatoes, fresh basil and feta with steamed lentils for a hearty, flavorful vegetarian meal that takes less than 20 minutes to prepare!
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups cooked French lentils
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 cup red onion, diced
- 1 cup tomatoes, diced
- 1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
- 1/2 cup crumbed feta
- 1/4 cup raisins
- 1/2 avocado, sliced
Instructions
- Heat olive oil over medium heat in a sauce pan. Add in onions and garlic and sauté until fragrant and onions are translucent. Add chopped tomatoes and sea salt, cover and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring often until tomatoes have softened. Add balsamic vinegar to deglaze the pan. Add in lentils, give the mixture a stir and cook for another minute or two — until lentils are just warm.
- Add basil, feta and raisins. Give the mixture a good stir to combine everything, remove from heat and serve.
- Serve lentils over cooked brown rice or baby spinach. Top with fresh avocado slices and an extra sprinkle of feta.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 3/4 cup
- Calories: 324
- Sugar: 15g
- Fat: 13g
- Carbohydrates: 43g
- Fiber: 12g
- Protein: 15g
Liz @ I Heart Vegetables says
August 4, 2015 at 7:10 amI’ve been loving lentils lately but I never know what to do with leftovers! I think I’ll have to give this a shot 🙂 It looks awesome!
Brittany Mullins says
August 4, 2015 at 11:50 amThanks Liz! I’m sure you’d love it!
Erin @ The Almond Eater says
August 4, 2015 at 7:27 amI loooove lentils, especially when topped with avocado. I should pick up the precooked ones from Trader Joe’s next time!
Sophie says
August 4, 2015 at 9:24 amThis sounds right up my alley! I wish we had those pre-cooked ones here in Holland – alas, all we have are the canned variety or the raw ones. Still – always worth cooking them!
Sydney | Modern Granola says
August 4, 2015 at 11:41 amYum! This sounds delicious. This makes me want to get back on the lentil train- it’s been a while! Great idea tossing in balsamic and avocado, I’m excited to try this out!
xx Sydney
Jamie | The Kitchenarium says
August 4, 2015 at 1:11 pmLove this! Those steamed lentils are such a time saver. We are huge fans in our house.
Erin @ Her Heartland Soul says
August 4, 2015 at 1:36 pmThis post just made me so hungry! Yum!
Heidi Kokborg says
August 4, 2015 at 3:56 pmThis looks wonderful! I can’t wait to make it! 🙂
http://www.thesparklingdarling.com
athleticavocado says
August 5, 2015 at 7:18 amI just got lentils in the mail for a certain campaign but I have lots left so I wanna make this! I love all the mediterranean flavors in this, especially basil 😀
Brittany Mullins says
August 5, 2015 at 4:48 pmPerfect timing!! Definitely let me know what you think if you end up trying the recipe. 🙂
Wendy @ Wholistic Woman says
August 5, 2015 at 9:11 amthis looks great! And, we are getting a Trader Joe’s in our town in a few weeks so I will have to look up those lentils.
Brittany Mullins says
August 5, 2015 at 4:42 pmOhh, that’s exciting! Trader Joe’s has so many goodies that you’ll have to try.
Ashley @ Fit Mitten Kitchen says
August 5, 2015 at 1:07 pmHow easy and tasty does this sound!? Yum! Pinning!
Brittany Mullins says
August 5, 2015 at 4:38 pmThank you so much, Ashley. 🙂
Glenda says
August 5, 2015 at 3:15 pmEnjoying this for lunch right now! Delicious 🙂
Brittany Mullins says
August 5, 2015 at 4:38 pmYay!! Thank you so much for trying the recipe, Glenda!
Kristen says
August 5, 2015 at 8:00 pmThis looks awesome! I’ve never had french lentils.
Nicole says
August 6, 2015 at 11:02 amI made it on Tuesday night and enjoyed it yesterday for lunch and now today too! SO yum. Thanks 🙂
Rachel Winters says
August 9, 2017 at 11:16 amI made this Sunday for lunches this week. I substituted red wine vinegar for balsamic and dried cranberries for the raisins since that is what I had on hand. I served it over baby spinach. Delicious recipe! I have been a bit obsessed with lentils lately!
Heather says
April 14, 2019 at 8:20 amMy daughter is a vegetarian so I am also on the lookout for new recipes to try! This one looks delish!