Author:
This Moroccan-Spiced Lentil Salad is bursting with warm spices, sweet dried fruit, crunchy nuts, and a zesty lemon dressing - it's a total flavor explosion! It's the perfect easy make-ahead lunch, ideal for meal prep or serving at your next picnic or potluck. Packed with plant-based protein and crunchy veggies, this healthy lentil salad is always a crowd-pleaser.
FEATURED COMMENT:
What an incredibly flavorful salad! My MIL put me in charge of bringing a salad for Easter, so I brought a lettuce salad and this gem of a recipe. Everyone wanted to keep the leftovers! (I kindly acquiesced but kept some for my husband and me!) - Lynette ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I originally made this Moroccan-Spiced Lentil Salad to bring to my parents' house as a little something to serve alongside dinner - but it totally stole the show. Who knew lentils could be so craveable? The mix of sweet dried fruit, crunchy nuts, and warm Moroccan-inspired spices had everyone going back for seconds (and thirds). What started as a humble side dish quickly became the accidental star of the meal.
And the best part? The leftovers taste even better the next day as the flavors have time to meld. When I was packing up to head home, I went to grab my salad bowl - only to find it sparkling clean. My mom had saved the rest for herself! Honestly, I don't blame her.
Ingredients:
- Lentils: The hearty, protein-packed base. I use canned lentils to make this salad super quick, but you could also cook them from scratch.
- Red onion, bell peppers & carrots: Crunchy, colorful veggies that add sweetness and bite.
- Parsley or cilantro: Bright, herby flavor. Use one or a mix!
- Golden raisins or dried apricots: A pop of sweetness to balance the spices.
- Toasted almonds or pistachios: Crunchy and satisfying. Adds richness and texture. Nut-free? Swap for pepitas or sunflower seeds.
- For the dressing: Olive oil, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, garlic, agave or maple syrup, cumin, cinnamon, coriander, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper - bold, zesty, and full of warm Moroccan spices. Oil-free? Swap olive oil for tahini + water blend (see recipe notes).
HOW TO MAKE THIS EASY VEGAN LENTIL SALAD:
- Make the dressing: In a small bowl or jar, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, garlic, agave, cumin, cinnamon, paprika, coriander, salt, and pepper. Set aside.
- Assemble the salad: In a large bowl, combine the lentils, red onion, bell peppers, carrots, parsley, dried fruit, and most of the nuts (save a handful for garnish).
- Toss and serve: Pour about half the dressing over the salad and toss well. Add more dressing to taste - you may not need it all. Garnish with the reserved nuts and a sprinkle of herbs. Serve right away or chill for 15-30 minutes to let the flavors meld.
- Leftovers? Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. The flavors get even better as it sits! For crunch, keep the nuts separate until serving.
Why You'll Love This Moroccan Lentil Salad...
- Packed with plant-based protein
- Quick and easy to make
- Perfect for meal prep or potlucks
- Bursting with bold Moroccan flavor
More Vegan Salads You Might Enjoy:
- Mediterranean Quinoa Salad
- Easy Vegan Pasta Salad
- The Best Ever Cowboy Caviar
- Easy Vegan Macaroni Salad
- Creamy Chipotle Lime Bean Salad
- Easy Vegan Potato Salad
If you try this lentil salad recipe let us know by leaving a comment, rating it, and don't forget to tag @itdoesnttastelikechicken on Instagram. You can also pin this recipe on Pinterest to save it for later!
Bon appetegan!
Sam Turnbull.
(click stars to vote)
Moroccan-Spiced Lentil Salad
Servings: - 10
PRINT
PIN
Video
COMMENT
Ingredients
- 2 cans (14 oz each) brown or green lentils, drained and rinsed (or 3 cups cooked lentils)
- ½ medium red onion, finely diced
- 2 small bell peppers, (red, orange, or yellow), diced
- 2 medium carrots, peeled and shredded
- ½ cup chopped fresh parsley or cilantro, roughly chopped (or a combo)
- ½ cup golden raisins or chopped dried apricots
- ½ cup toasted almonds or pistachios, roughly chopped (or a combo)
Dressing:
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 clove garlic, minced or pressed
- 2 teaspoon agave
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander
- ½ teaspoon salt, (or to taste)
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper, (or to taste)
Instructions
- Make the dressing: In a small bowl or jar, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, garlic, agave, cumin, cinnamon, paprika, coriander, salt, and pepper. Set aside.
- Assemble the salad: In a large bowl, combine the lentils, red onion, bell peppers, carrots, parsley, dried fruit, and most of the nuts (saving a handful for garnish).
- Toss and serve: Pour about half the dressing over the salad and toss well to coat. Add more dressing to taste - you may not need it all. Garnish with the reserved nuts and a sprinkle of herbs. Serve right away or chill for 15-30 minutes to let the flavors meld.Leftovers? Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. The flavors get even better as it sits! For crunch, keep the nuts separate until serving.
Eva says
Would give more than 5 stars if I could! It truly is a flavor explosion - I love it. Threw in some spirelli pasta to bulk it up. Reading the dressing ingredients I thought, mhhhhmm, one whole teaspoon of cinnamon, sounds like a lot, maybe I should start with half - but then I'm thinking, Naaaah, Sam knows her flavors! And of course: The dressing is absolutely delicious! ❤️
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Haha, I love the trust Eva! Thank you so much for the lovely review, I'm so happy you enjoyed the salad so much 🙂
Stephanie says
This is delicious! Moroccan spice is spot-on: subtle but distinctive. My husband, who is not vegan but sensitive to "different" spices (if I make something he doesn't like, he asks, "what's that weird flavor?), enjoyed it, too. That's good news but means this salad will be disappearing even more quickly!
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Haha that's wonderful! So happy you and your husband both enjoyed it Stephanie! Thanks for the review 🙂
Nancy says
Yummy and quick to make.
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
So happy you enjoyed it Nancy!
Laurie says
I made this as the salad contribution to our Easter dinner and it was a huge hit. I let it “marinate” a full day so the flavours really blended well. Leftovers were finished at brunch the next day!
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Yay! Love that! So happy it was a hit Laurie!
Carrie says
10 out of 10. Fresh and delicious. I used green pepper as I don’t love the sweetness of other colours, I shaved my carrots with a peeler and then chopped roughly, used both cilantro and parsley from the garden, lemon juice from concentrate and canned green lentils , everything blended into a fresh and delicious salad. Thank you !!!!
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Oooh that sounds lovely! I am so happy you enjoyed it Carrie! Thanks for the review 🙂
monique duncan-williams says
I have now made this delicious recipe a few times. It is so good. I’ve taken it to a friend’s house and made it for my family. It’s a crowd pleaser for sure.
Thanks for a great summer salad.
Jess @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
We love to hear how much you enjoy this one, Monique! Thanks for sharing!
Lynette says
What an incredibly flavorful salad!
My MIL put me in charge of bringing a salad for Easter, so I brought a lettuce salad and this gem of a recipe. Everyone wanted to keep the leftovers! (I kindly acquiesced but kept some for my husband and me!)
Jess @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
That's a success! Thanks for sharing!
Mandy says
This was awesome. Loved the ease putting it together and the dressing really brought it all together. So so good! Thanks Sam!
Jess @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
We're so happy to hear it!
Lisa says
This looks amazing. I am oil free. What else could I use for the dressing?
Jess @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Yes the recipe includes an oil-free option! You can swap the olive oil for 1 tablespoon tahini mixed with 2–3 tablespoons water, until smooth and pourable.
Emily says
This and your Mediterranean quinoa salad have become regulars in our rotation. They're both so healthy, fibre and protein packed, but so flavourful! I'm not a lettuce lover so loooove these salad options.
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Yay! I am so happy you love them. I've really been enjoying lettuce free salads too recently! 🙂
Colleen says
Delicous and good for you! I used the oil-free option with tahini and it worked! This salad will be enjoyed year round. Yum!
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Yay! So thrilled you loved it Colleen! Thank you for the review 🙂
Tracy says
This was a super yummy way to get more lentils in my diet. A little bit of crunch, a little bit of spice, and a lot of yummy.
Jess @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Thanks for your review, Tracy!
monique duncan-williams says
I made this today and shared it with my neighbors. It’s delicious and so colorful! This would be great to take to a party. Thanks for the recipe and I will definitely make it again!
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
I'm so happy you loved it Monique! Thank you for the review 🙂
Emma says
I love this recipe. It's so easy to prepare and even though I didn't have exactly the right ingredients, I can only imagine how much better it would be, so am looking forward to trying it as above. Thank you so much for another yummy salad
Jess @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
We love to hear it!
Sharon McCleave says
This is an exceptional recipe! I made the dressing with tahini as suggested, and the salad was a perfect balance between sweet and savoury. Thank you for posting this, Sam. Your kitchen creativity is enviable.
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Aww thank you so much Sharon, that's so sweet 🙂
Jane says
Absolutely delicious. Another winner. Anyone who thinks vegan food is boring has not eaten this!
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Haha love it!! Thank you so much Jane!!
Terry says
OMG!!! This is amazing!! I used shallots and dates instead of red onion and raisins; just because I had them a while and I needed to use them. Served with a hot, crusty baguette! I am so happy to have found this recipe! Thank you, thank you!!!!
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Oooh sounds amazing! I am so happy you love the recipe Terry 🙂
Siobhan Burns says
This was absolutely delicious and really easy to make! I made it for my teenager to take on a hiking expedition and when I tried it, I had to make another one for myself as a work packed lunch!
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Haha that's wonderful! 🙂
Dixie Folzenlogen says
so delicious. cooked my own lentils. took 20 minutes to cook and did all the veggie prep during that time. used Turkish apricots and toasted slivered almonds that I picked up already toasted at Trader Joe's. Can't wait for lunch tomorrow.
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Yay! SO happy you love it Dixie 🙂
Joy Larink says
So DELICIOUS! I made it for my family and everyone loved it. I’m making it next week for company. I chose to use the golden raisin and pistachios.
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
YAY! That makes me so happy! Thrilled you enjoy it Joy!
Suzanne Roberson says
Had leftover lentils from making the amazing meatloaf. This salad is delicious! Will definitely be making it again.
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
I'm so happy you loved it Suzanne! Thank you for the review 🙂
Kim says
This sounds delicious! I'm definitely going to try it!
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Wonderful!! I hope you enjoy it Kim!