Need a tasty and quick meal? This Easy Vegan Lentil Salad with Leeks and Lemon Vinaigrette can be ready in under 10 minutes and is a refreshing salad for lunch or dinner.
Lentils are my jam. Which surprises me because I would NEVER have imagined I’d say anything of the sort 10 years ago.
You might have seen on my About Me page that growing up I hated anything healthy, especially vegetables. If it wasn’t pizza, pasta, chicken nuggets or something with 5lbs of cheese slathered on it, you could basically not even think about me trying it.
Fast-forward to me going vegan and having to find other things to eat besides fried meat and cheese. I was so hesitant about trying anything new (that’s not how my family rolls) but I had to find something to eat.
Once I started trying foods, a whole new world has opened up to me. Do you ever start singing A Whole New World from Aladdin when someone says that too? I hope I’m not the only one.
So if you’re one of those people that say “I could never eat beans” or “I hate salad” like I used to, maybe give this salad a try. It’s light and refreshing and tasty all at the same time. And if pasta salad is more your thing, check out my Vegan Ranch Pasta Salad. That’s a tasty one too.
Easy Vegan Lentil Salad with Leeks
You know those pre-cooked lentils you can get in the refrigerated section of Trader Joe’s? If not, you need to get some for yourself ASAP. They’re so easy to use – I always have some on hand. Anyway, I was hot and tired and didn’t feel like cooking much but my body was telling me I needed some greens and beans so I took whatever I found in the fridge (including those TJ lentils) and came up with this little number.
My Vegan Lentil Salad starts with a base of organic mixed green and then I add leeks, pre-cooked lentils, and scallions. The salad is topped with a lemon vinaigrette and is ready in under 10 minutes. Besides being quick and tasty, a serving of this salad gives you lots of vitamin A, vitamin C, and iron.
If you make this Vegan Lentil Salad recipe, let me know what you think by ★ star rating it and leaving a comment below.
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Easy Vegan Lentil Salad with Leeks and Lemon Vinaigrette
Ingredients
For the Salad
- 1 cup cooked lentils
- 1 leek (lighter part only) rinsed, cleaned, and chopped
- 2 cups mixed salad greens
- few tablespoons of scallions
Lemon Vinaigrette
- 3 TB extra virgin olive oil
- 2 TB wine vinegar
- juice of half a lemon
- 1 tsp Dijon
- 1 TB nutritional yeast
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- pinch salt & pepper
Nutrition
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Mary Ellen Valverde MS, CNS, LDN is a Licensed Nutritionist and Certified Nutrition Specialist who empowers vegans to feel confident creating sustainable habits that align with their values and health goals. She shares easy plant-powered food to nourish your body + satisfy your tastebuds. Mary Ellen’s recipes and nutrition info have been featured on Yahoo News, Parade, VegNews, LIVESTRONG, Dr. Axe, Greatist, LIVEKINDLY, Brit+Co, Well+Good, and more. She lives in NJ with her husband & two sweet shih tzus, Firenze & Sophie.
Christine @ Run Plant Based says
Agreed on lentils, I buy them in bulk. And this salad looks perfect for summer, satisfying with great flavors. Thanks!
Kimmythevegan says
Pre-cooked lentils? What? I need to look around the grocery store more. This is super handy sounding.
And this salad sounds so good! I’m all over the quick, easy lunches to pack for work.
I really like the sound of the dressing =)
Mary Ellen says
I love pre-cooked lentils. I’ve only seen them at Trader Joe’s but I stock up when I go there. 🙂
Thanks so much Kimmy! It’s been a go-to for work lunches.
Julie Wunder says
Such great salad! Love lentils too.