Lentil Salad with Green Olives
Try this Lentil Salad with Green Olives for a unique salad idea; it also has red bell pepper, green onion, and herbs to boost the flavor!
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Last night I got home from Chicago, where I had fun attending Eat Write Retreat, hanging out with my friend Stephanie, eating at some favorite spots like Greek Islands and Frontera Grill, and meeting some food bloggers that I’d known online but hadn’t met in person. While I was gone Salt Lake has been having a heat wave, with temperatures hovering around 100F for a few days now, so cold dishes like this Lentil Salad with Green Olives, Red Bell Pepper, Green Onion, and Herbs are sounding good!
My love for brown lentils is well documented on the blog, and this lentil salad recipe started with an idea that popped into my head to combine brown lentils and green olives, a combination I loved. Then I was inspired to add a generous amount of chopped red bell pepper plus Greek oregano and fresh Italian parsley from my garden, fresh ingredients that I really thought added an interesting twist to the salad.
How Can You Make This Salad Lower in Carbs?
Lentils are what some diet plans consider a “good carb,” but if you want to make the salad lower in carbs, I’d suggest using more red pepper and green onion and reducing the amount of lentils, for a lower-carb meatless salad that will be just as delicious.
How to Make Lentil Salad with Green Olives:
(Scroll down for complete recipe with nutritional information.)
- Put lentils in pan with 3 cups water, bring to very low simmer, and let cook until lentils are soft. (This will be about 30 minutes, but cooking times can vary quite a bit depending on how fresh the lentils are.)
- Drain the lentils well while you chop up the green olives. I used a jar of green olives with pimento, and after I drained them I used the bowl attachment of my immersion blender (affiliate link) to get coarsely chopped olives and pimento pieces.
- Slice the green onions and chop the green olives red pepper, and herbs.
- Combine one tablespoon each of lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, and olive oil to make the marinade.
- As soon as the lentils are drained well, marinate the warm lentils in this mixture.
- Whisk together the rest of the lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, sweet paprika, and Spike Seasoning; then whisk in olive oil to make the dressing for the salad.
- Combine the lentils, chopped red pepper, green onion, and green olives with the desired amount of dressing, and gently stir in the chopped herbs.
- Season salad with salt and fresh ground black pepper and serve salad cold or room temperature. This will keep in the fridge for a day or two, although I like it best when the fresh ingredients are still crunchy.
More Recipes with Lentils:
Beans and Legumes Recipes Index ~ Slow Cooker or Pressure Cooker
Lebanese Lentil Salad with Garlic, Cumin, Mint, and Parsley ~ Kalyn’s Kitchen
Lentil Salad with Feta, Lemon, and Parsley ~ Rachel Cooks
Sausage and Lentils with Fried Sage ~ Kalyn’s Kitchen
Weekend Food Prep:
This recipe has been added to a new category called Weekend Food Prep to help you find recipes you can prep or cook on the weekend and eat during the week!
If you’re looking for a slightly unusual salad for a pot-luck, try this Lentil Salad with Green Olives, Red Bell Pepper, Green Onion, and Greek Oregano. Recipe created by Kalyn. Nutrition information is automatically calculated by the Recipe Plug-In I am using. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee 100% accuracy, since many variables affect those calculations.
Lentil Salad with Green Olives
Ingredients
Instructions
Notes
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6
Serving Size:
1
Amount Per Serving:
Calories: 207Total Fat: 14gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 675mgCarbohydrates: 20gFiber: 9gSugar: 3gProtein: 5g
Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
Lentils are considered a “good carb” for the original South Beach Diet, and you could eat a small serving of this Lentil Salad with Green Olives for any phase of the diet. To make this a lower-carb salad, decrease the amount of lentils and use more chopped red pepper and sliced green onion.
Find More Recipes Like This One:
Use Salad Recipes to find more recipes like this one. Use the Recipes by Diet Type photo index pages to find more recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You might also like to Follow Kalyn’s Kitchen on Pinterest to see all the good recipes I’m sharing there.
41 Comments on “Lentil Salad with Green Olives”
This appears like a very yummy salad from the image itself. Salads are very healthy and good for weight watchers also. 😀
What a beautiful salad you made. I could eat lentils almost every day.
just ate some fabulous mujaddara. i love your version of lentils. and the clay pot.
I’m not keeping up on these comments too well, but I’m glad people are liking this.
Maggie, I love Mazza and eat there all the time.
I also have a Greek oragano plant in my yard (I’m also in SLC, oragano loves Utah, perhaps?) and am looking forward to trying your fab salad with it. Cafe Mediterranean may be gone, but you can get Mujaddara and other yummy Middle Eastern dishes at the two Mazzas restaurants in Salt Lake. Thinking of their food makes me swoon, it is so good!
Just discovered your fantastic blog! Love the idea of using oregano fresh – I’ve got a really healthy plant in the garden and would like to try out recipes that incorporate these herbs.
nice site and great food
I love lentils. I don’t eat them enough. I will be trying this salad for sure!
mmm love lentils
This salad looks fabulous – I love the addition of the green olives. I always tell myself that I’m going to cook more with lentils, but never actually do it. This salad on going on my must-try list.
Oh my. What a beautiful creation. I just love the idea of pairing green olives with lentils.
I have never cooked with lentils, but this recipe definitely inspires me to do so! Can’t wait to try!
I love lentils, they are definitely one of my favorite legumes and were the first ones I ever cooked myself. I have some green olives sitting in the fridge waiting to be used up so I think I shall have to make this, perhaps with some pitas for lunch.
Pearl, thanks. It was unusual, but I really liked it.
Vanielje, I think sun-dried tomatoes, lentils, and oregano sounds like a great combination!
Tanna, aren’t they just such a natural in so many dishes.
Lydia, I wish I could send you some! My plants are thriving.
Penny, it’s probably Greek Oregano; I think that’s the kind most commonly grown.
Meghan, it’s a strong flavor. Oregano is the main flavor in pizza sauce, and oregano is great with tomatoes. This is an unusual use of it, but I liked it a lot!
I have a bag of lentils that I bought because I wanted to try them and I’ve been waiting for a good recipe. This salad is so vibrantly colored! I’ve never had Greek Oregano before.
I love lentils too. I have a huge patch of oregano in my herb garden – don’t know the genus, but I’m sure it would work. Will give this a try. Thanks.
Lentils and olives? I’d never have thought of it. But now I’m more disappointed than ever that my Greek oregano didn’t winter over in my herb garden. I’m planning to put in a new plant or two this year, and will bookmark this recipe to try.
I do that to … lentils come to mind often. I think I use them a lot almost as meat in many dishes. This looks great for a salad with grilled summer foods.
Looks devine Kalyn. I love Greek oreganum, but I normally add sundried tomatoes to my lentil and oreganum salad. Will have to try yours out.
Kalyn – your lentil salad looks yum!