Kale Lentil Salad with Lemon Dressing
Supercharge your salad game with this healthy and delicious Kale Lentil Salad. Each bite is a nutritional powerhouse and the zesty lemon dressing will keep you coming back for more!
Servings 4 servings
Calories 242kcal
Ingredients
- 14 oz canned italian lentils (1 can) delallo brand is my favorite
- 2 cups finely chopped kale (or 3 cups if preferred)
- 1 cup bell pepper (I used a mix of red and green)
- ½ seedless english cucumber
- ⅓ cup finely diced red onion
- ¼ cup fresh parsley
- salt and pepper to taste
LEMON DRESSING
- 1 lemon (zested and juiced)
- 1 clove fresh garlic (peeled, smashed, and minced)
- 3 TBSP extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp white wine vinegar or red wine vinegar
- ¼ tsp sea salt
- ¼ tsp pepper
- ⅛ tsp dried oregano leaves
Instructions
- First whisk together dressing ingredients in a large salad bowl. For the lemon, start with the juice from the entire lemon and add ¼ tsp lemon zest. Set aside remaining zest to add desired amount of additional zest at the end, to taste.
- Drain and rinse lentils.
- Wash and dry kale. Remove the center stems and finely chop the leaves into very small pieces. Add to the bowl with the dressing and lightly rub the dressing into the leaves to tenderize and flavor the kale.
- Chopping the vegetables in to small pieces will help you get a little bit of everything in each bite! Finely dice cucumber, bell pepper, red onion, kale, and parsley. Add to salad bowl and mix well.
- Taste test and add desired amount of extra lemon zest and season with additional salt and pepper to bring out extra flavor in the salad. I add a hearty pinch of each to mine. An additional spoonful of vinegar may also be added if desired.
- Additional vegetables may be added to the mix as well (see notes for a full list) simply increase dressing and seasoning to compensate and you're good to go!
- The lemon dressing can be doubled if desired and kept in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Leftover salad can be refrigerated and enjoyed the follow day. I like to let it set out to reach room temp for 30 minutes before diving back in.
Notes
Recipe yields 4 side salads or 2 large meal-sized salads.
Some delicious mix-in options include crumbed feta, crispy tortilla strips, diced tomatoes, toasted chopped almonds or walnuts, pickled banana peppers, olives, shredded carrots, and chopped broccoli. Depending on what you add, you. may want to make a little extra dressing and season with additional salt and pepper.
Nutrition Facts below are estimated using an online recipe nutrition calculator. Adjust as needed if extras are added and enjoy!
Nutrition
Calories: 242kcal | Carbohydrates: 68g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Sodium: 159mg | Potassium: 1201mg | Fiber: 33g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 2617IU | Vitamin C: 83mg | Calcium: 109mg | Iron: 8mg
