Skip to main content

Big Green Lentil Salad

4.6

(23)

A whipped yogurt sauce spread on a large plate piled high with Puy lentils arugula and avocado.
Photo by Chelsie Craig, Food Styling by Michelle Gatton

Cool yogurt, crunchy seeds, and herbs turn lentils into a lunch salad you’ll actually be excited to eat. Serve it with warm pita for swiping up the garlicky yogurt for a speedy weeknight dinner.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    4 servings

Ingredients

1½ cups green lentils, rinsed
¾ tsp. kosher salt, divided, plus more
1⅓ cups plain Greek yogurt
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
½ tsp. ground turmeric
Freshly ground black pepper
1 cup unsalted, roasted sunflower seeds
1 Tbsp. plus 1½ tsp. fresh lemon juice
3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1 ripe avocado, cut into cubes
1 cup baby arugula
1 cup basil leaves, torn if large

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Cook lentils in a large saucepan of simmering salted water until they are tender but still retain their shape, 20–30 minutes. Drain, rinse under cold running water, and drain well again.

    Step 2

    Mix yogurt, garlic, turmeric, ¼ tsp. salt, and a generous grind of pepper in a small bowl to combine; set aside.

    Step 3

    Toss lentils, sunflower seeds, lemon juice, 3 Tbsp. oil, and remaining ½ tsp. salt in a large bowl. Gently fold in avocado, arugula, and basil.

    Step 4

    Spread reserved yogurt sauce across a platter and spoon lentil mixture on top; drizzle with oil.

Read More
The golden, crunchy corners are worth fighting over.
Elegant enough for a dinner party centerpiece, sturdy enough to take the leftovers for lunch tomorrow.
Bathe greens and chickpeas in a garlicky, tomato-enhanced broth. Stretch a block of Halloumi by grating and toasting it into a topping for the soup.
Serve it with warm pita, rice, or chips for an under-30-minute dinner.
Biscuits and gravy, but make it spring.
This brothy bowl will nourish you from the inside out.
The secret to flavorful, never-greasy eggplant parm? Brine the eggplant first.
This garlicky shrimp scampi version of a classic bisque embraces the technique of blending seafood shells for a luxuriously silky and creamy end result.