It doesn’t get much better than this lentil pasta salad! Full of flavor, easy to make, and perfect for lunch or meal prep. This recipe is also gluten free, soy free, and packed with plant protein. And it has an easy shake up a jar dressing.
Once the warm weather approaches my cravings totally start to change. I want everything to be fresh and cold. So, pasta salads become my go-to. This easy lentil pasta salad is amazing it has so much flavor and is a great way to just use up what you have. I also wanted to keep the dressing not too hard to make so you just put a bunch of ingredients into a jar and give it a shake.
The Pasta
I am a firm believer that there is a time and place for certain pasta shapes. In a pasta salad I like to use rotini (what I used here), cavatappi, elbows, conchilgie (shells) or you could even get away with farfalle (buttefly or bow tie). Now of course you can use any pasta you like but I would personally stick to using one of the shapes I listed above. For the last few years I have been using Banza pasta and I really enjoy it. The pasta is made from chickpeas, it is gluten free and protein packed. But again, feel free to use whatever pasta you prefer.
The Lentils
There are a bunch of different kind of lentils. I like to use brown lentils as they hold their shape better and just have a meatier feel to them. Since, I used dried lentils I boiled them while I prepared the veggies. However, you can boil them ahead of time or even use ready to eat lentils that is great too. I love the steamed lentils in the refrigerated section of Trader Joe’s and these would so well here. If you decide to use a different lentil like red or green lentils just be sure to check the packages for directions on how long to cook them.
Side Dish or Main Dish?
I will never truly know whether pasta salad is a side dish or main dish. I have times when it is both and I think this would be really great as a whole meal. You can also use this recipe as a side dish for a lunch or even brunch, like maybe one for Mother’s Day (hint hint). If you are going to make this your main dish and you want to add even more protein you could add tempeh, tofu, or beans.
What Should I Serve This With?
I have plenty of recipes on here that you can use to make a gorgeous delicious lunch. Check out some of these below and for more ideas click here.
Easy Lentil Pasta Salad FAQ
- How long will this last in the fridge? I would say up to 5 days.
- How far in advance can I make this for a lunch or party? I wouldn’t make it more than 12 hours in advance. If you want it for an early afternoon make it the night before. If you need it for later in the day make it in the morning.
- What else could I add to this? Anything you want! The beauty of pasta salad is there is no wrong way to make it.
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Easy Lentil Pasta Salad
Ingredients
Pasta Salad
- ¾ cup (135g) brown lentils
- 2-3 green onions (about 20g), chopped
- ½ bell pepper (about 6 ounces/170g), chopped
- 2 ounces (56g) baby spinach, about 2 handfuls, roughly chopped
- ¼ cup (30g) pickled jalapeño, chopped
- 3 mini cucumbers or ½ English cucumber about (5.5 ounces/160g), chopped
- ½ can (about 5 ounces/140g) quartered artichoke hearts
- 15 large black olives (about 3.5 ounces/100g), halved
- 6 ounces (168g) pasta
- ⅓ block (about 3 ounces/80g) vegan feta, crumbled
Dressing
- ½ teaspoon dried parsley
- ½ teaspoon oregano
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ¼ teaspoon salt or to taste
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ cup (60ml) red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon (15ml) olive oil
- 2 tablespoons (30g) tahini
- 1 tablespoon (15ml) good balsamic vinegar
- 1 lemon, juiced
Instructions
- Add lentils to a pot and cover with about 3 cups (720ml) water and add a pinch of salt. Boil over medium high heat for about 40 minutes, or until soft. *You can also use precooked lentils, see info above in “the lentils” section.
- While the lentils boil prep all the veggies.
- Once the lentils have about 15 minutes left of cooking bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook pasta till al dente.
- Once pasta and lentils are done cooking strain out excess water and allow them to cool.
- Into a jar add all the dressing ingredients and shake until well combined. Taste and add more seasonings to your preference.
- In a large bowl add all the ingredients and then drizzle dressing over top. Mix to combine.
- Taste and add any extra seasonings to preference. Either enjoy the pasta salad right away or place in fridge.
Video
Notes
- As a main dish this would make 4 servings, as a side dish 6 to 8.
- Add any spices you like to the dressing, if you don’t want to use as many as I did leave some out or make swaps.
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what do you think about this pasta salad? would you try it?!
Looks amazing, am going to add some chunks of Seitan also!
awesome hope you enjoy Amy!
Absolutely delicious! I have made different variations of this recipe numerous times. It’s great to make ahead for lunches all week. The jalapeño gives it a great pop of flavor. I’ll switch out different ingredients(fresh mozzarella pearls instead of feta, add jarred sun-dried tomatoes in oil, red onion instead of green) and it always turns out great! Dressing recipe is over the top yummy!
Hi Alyssa, thank you so much so glad you enjoy the dressing! Yes there are lots of ways to play around with the recipe. Thanks for leaving a comment and review!!
Amazing. The addition of the tahini makes it creamy and a unique flavor. Loved it!