This Roasted Tomato Mediterranean Lentil Salad is the salad you'll want to make with all those juicy cherry tomatoes and fresh herbs that appear in summer time! Packed with flavor, it's perfect for taking on picnics, as a side or to serve as a light lunch or main course.
Lentils are such a delicious choice when making salads, especially if you choose green or puy lentils (also known as French Lentils) which have a great peppery flavor that pairs beautifully with sweet roasted tomatoes and lots of herbs.
I love making lentil dishes throughout the year, so if you're after a similar salad but it's no longer tomato season, this delicious Roasted Carrot and Lentil Salad is a really yummy alternative. Or if you would love a soup that uses lentils, why not try my Lentil and Tomato Soup.
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🍅Ingredients
See below for the ingredients for the Roasted Tomato Lentil Salad Recipe. The full quantities are noted in the recipe card, along with both Metric and Imperial measurements needed.
- Puy Lentils (black lentils) or French Green Lentils are best for this recipe, however regular green lentils or brown lentils will also work. Avoid red lentils as they end up too soft for this salad.
- Cherry Tomatoes: sweet juicy and ripe tomatoes are best. Choose whichever you love best
- Spring Onions (Green Onions): To toss through the salad and add a bit of zing.
- Fresh Parsley: Plenty of fresh flat-leaf parsley. It acts as a green vegetable in this salad. You can also add fresh basil leaves.
- Pine Nuts, pumpkin seeds and/or Pistachio Nuts (optional but tasty)
- Garlic Powder and/or Chilli flakes: to add to the tomatoes when roasting for extra delicious flavour.
- White Wine Vinegar: This is for the vinaigrette. You can also add a little fresh lemon juice if you wish. (Alternatively red wine vinegar or white balsamic vinegar are also delicious)
- Olive Oil: Extra Virgin Olive oil for the dressing and to roast the tomatoes in.
- Dijon Mustard: This gets added to the vinaigrette for a zingy, tangy flavor.
- A little sweetener such as maple syrup or agave syrup to balance the flavor of vinaigrette dressing.
- Garlic: One small garlic clove for the vinaigrette salad dressing. .
- Sea Salt and Cracked Black Pepper.
See recipe card for quantities.
👩🍳Instructions
Follow along with these step by step photos to help you achieve the perfect Tomato and Lentil Salad! The quantities and full instructions are written out on the recipe card.
1. First cook the lentils until tender in plenty of water on medium-high heat with half an onion and a little optional boullion powder. Make sure they don't dry out and catch. Pan roast the pine nuts or pistachio nuts.
2. While the lentils are cooking drizzle the tomatoes with olive oil, sprinkle over garlic powder and chili flakes if using and either air fry at 180c/360f for 20 mins or roast on a baking tray at 180c/360f for 30-35 mins until blistered and sweet.
Meanwhile, mix up the ingredients for the salad dressing in a small jar.
3. Drain the lentils and allow to cool a little. Dress with half the salad dressing and mix through the fresh herbs and spring onions.
4. Top the lentils with the roasted tomatoes, more dressing and the pine nuts and toss well.
Serve this delicious Lentil Tomato Salad at room temperature!
Hint: Keep an eye on the lentils as they cook, as they can vary with their cook time depending on the size, type and even their age (older lentils will take longer). Add extra water if they look like they will dry out before they're cooked!
🌶️Substitutions & Variations
If you know how to make the recipe fit a certain diet, let the reader know here. Don't fake it - only provide guidance on topics you have actual experience with.
- Pre-Cooked Lentils- choose canned lentils or those handy lentils you can buy in pouches rather than cooking your own.
- Other types of tomatoes: Choose grape tomatoes, mini roma tomatoes or even substitute in semi dried or sun-dried tomatoes
- Other Salad items - you can choose red onion, rocket (arugula), chives or even chicory to add extra flavor and texture to the salad.
- Other add ons- Add a sprinkle of vegan feta or fresh mozzarella to top the salad.
🔪Equipment
You'll need a sauce pan, baking sheet and/or air fryer and a good knife to make this recipe. I like to serve this salad either in a shallow serving bowl or piled onto a serving platter or plate.
🫙Storage
Any leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. This delicious lentil salad can be eaten cold, or room temperature, so it's great for food prep!
Top tip
Make sure to add all the juices from the tomatoes once they're cooked to the lentils too! They're full of sweet flavor that really enhances the salad.
❓FAQ
Puy lentils are a kind of dark green lentil that is common in France. They have a lovely peppery flavor. Substitute green, black or beluga lentils if you can't find puy lentils.
Love Lentils?
Try some of my other favourite lentil recipes!
Salad season:
These are my favorite dishes to serve with [this recipe]:
📖 Recipe
Roasted Tomato Mediterranean Lentil Salad
Equipment
- 1 Saucepan
Ingredients Note:
For accuracy, I measure all ingredients in metric as standard, then convert and test the recipe for American cup measurements etc.
(Heads up Aussie and UK readers- your measurements in cups are sometimes different, so please use metric or check you have the correct cup and spoon type!!)
Ingredients
For the Lentils
- 250 g (1 cups) puy lentils ( or brown or green lentils )
- ½ onion (small)
- 500 ml water (or more as needed)
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
For the Roasted Tomatoes
- 650 g (1 3/7 lb) cherry tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon mild chilli powder (or cayenne pepper)
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- sea salt to taste.
For the Vinaigrette Dressing
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 3 tablespoon white wine vinegar (or ACV)
- 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 clove garlic
- ½ teaspoon maple syrup (or agave or sugar)
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
To assemble the salad
- 3 tablespoon pine nuts (toastes)
- 4 spring onions
- 100 g flat leaf parsley
Instructions
Cook the lentils:
- Halve the onion and remove the skin.½ onion
- Add the lentils to a saucepan and cook the lentils in water with the ½ onion and salt until tender over a medium heat. . About 20 mins. Drain.250 g puy lentils, 500 ml water, 1 teaspoon sea salt
How to cook the tomatoes:
- Keep the tomatoes whole, and sprinkle over all the seasonings and olive oil. Mix and roast at 180c/360F in the air fryer for 15-20 mins or in the oven for about 20-25 mins or until caramelised and juicy!650 g cherry tomatoes, 1 teaspoon mild chilli powder, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon olive oil, sea salt to taste.
Make the Vinaigrette Dressing
- Mince the garlic, then combine all the ingredients for the Dressing in a jar and mix thoroughly. Taste and add salt/ more mustard/more vinegar as desired.1 tablespoon dijon mustard, 3 tablespoon white wine vinegar , 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, 1 clove garlic, ½ teaspoon maple syrup, ½ teaspoon sea salt
Assemble the Salad
- Toast seeds , pine nuts or pistachios in a hot pan with no oil until they are fragrant. Careful not to burn!3 tablespoon pine nuts
- Finely chop the spring onion and parsley.
- Drain the lentils and mix half the dressing through them.
- On a plate or serving bowl assemble the lentils, parsley and spring onions and toss.4 spring onions, 100 g flat leaf parsley
- Top the salad with the roasted tomatoes and pine nuts, plus some more dressing and serve.
Notes
-
- Like all salad recipes, this salad is perfect for changing according to your tastes, dietary needs, the season or what you have to hand. Here are some easy swaps and variations:
- Pre-Cooked Lentils- choose canned lentils or those handy lentils you can buy in pouches rather than cooking your own.
-
- Other seeds or nuts: replace the pine nuts with sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds or chopped toasted cashews.
-
- Alternative Onions: I like to use spring onions, however chopped red onion, chives or sweet white onion would also be delicious.
-
- Arugula or Rocket: instead or as well as the fresh parsley.
Terri says
Loved the recipe, I was looking for a different type of salad and this was perfect.
I used the weight rather than the cups.
I have cups but not sure they’re the right sizes.
For clarification could you tell me what size cups you use please.
Terri UK ☺️
Louise-Claire Cayzer says
HI Terri,
I'm so glad you liked the recipe- it's one of my favourites to make, especially when I'm craving a hearty salad.
Re the measurements- I'm in the UK and always start with weights because that's how I think, then convert to US imperial measurment cups for my US audience.
That said- because this is a salad (rather than a cake or other baking!) it doesn't matter hugely if you use any cup- it's more about keeping the proportions and tasting as you go.