Lentil Pasta Salad

Author: Katie

This lentil pasta salad is fresh, protein-packed, and tossed in a zesty lemon-tahini dressing. Loaded with crunchy veggies, hearty lentils, it’s easy to make and meal prep friendly!

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Prep Time: 15

Total Time: 15

Course: Salad

Cuisine: Mediterranean

Servings: 4 people

Equipment

1 large pot, cutting board + knife
1 colander

Ingredients

9 ounces (250 g) pasta of choice (I used fusilli) *see notes
1 can (15oz) (425 g) brown lentils *drained & rinsed, see notes
1 yellow bell pepper
1 ½ cup (240 g) cherry tomatoes *halved
⅓ cup (50 g) black olives
½ a large cucumber *quartered and sliced into half-moons, peeled or unpeeled
¼ cup (30 g) red onion *finely chopped
1 cup (120 g) crumbled feta
1 teaspoon salt
1 handful of fresh parsley *finely chopped, see notes

Lemon Vinaigrette

juice of 1 lemon
3 tablespoon high quality extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon tahini *see notes
1 tablespoon maple syrup
water
1 teaspoon salt

You can find detailed step-by step-photos above the recipe card.

Instructions

Cook pasta according to package instructions until al dente. Drain and rinse under cold water. Set aside.
9 ounces pasta of choice (I used fusilli)
Make the dressing- whisk lemon juice, olive oil, tahini, maple syrup, water, and salt until smooth. Add water 1 tablespoon at a time until desired consistency. Add a bit more for a thinner dressing, add less to keep it creamier. I like to use warm water because it helps the tahini to dissolve.
juice of 1 lemon, 3 tbsp high quality extra virgin olive oil, 1 tbsp tahini, 1 tbsp maple syrup, water, 1 tsp salt
Prep veggies- wash and chop all the veggies, feta and and herbs. Add the salt (omit for a lower salt version- I salted both the salad and the dressing).
1 yellow bell pepper, 1 ½ cup cherry tomatoes , ⅓ cup black olives , ½ a large cucumber , ¼ cup red onion , 1 cup crumbled feta , 1 handful of fresh parsley, 1 tsp salt
Assemble- Toss pasta, lentils, veggies, feta, and dressing in a large bowl.
1 can (15oz) brown lentils

Video

Notes

Type of pasta: Pretty much any pasta that holds its shape works here. Think penne, fusilli, farfalle, gemelli, rigatoni, shells, or even elbow macaroni. If you’re gluten-free, grab your favorite GF pasta.
Amount of pasta: We eat a lot of pasta in this house, so it’s always tricky to say how much you’ll need. I find 9 ounces is just about right, but feel free to add a bit more if your crew loves bigger portions.
Type of lentils: I used canned brown lentils because I’m all about saving time, but you could totally cook them from scratch if you want. If so, I'd go for brown or French green lentils (puy lentils).
No tahini? Use almond butter or omit. Or try my Lemon Yogurt Dressing instead for a yogurt based one.
Vegan: Use vegan feta- all the other ingredients are naturally vegan.
Don’t skip the fresh herbs- they really lift the salad. Parsley, basil, cilantro or mint all work, but I wouldn’t swap them for dried herbs here.

Nutrition

All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates.

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