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This vibrant Lentil Salad with Roasted Sweet Potatoes is hearty, bright, and truly meal prep perfect. A lentil salad is a must-have for any healthy repertoire, and this one is my favorite.
For more lentil recipes try my Lentil Meatballs, Instant Pot Lentil Soup, and Red Lentil Curry.
Quick Look: Sweet Potato Lentil Salad
- 🔪 Prep Time: 10 minutes
- 🔥 Cook Time: 40 minutes
- 🍽 Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes (including cooling time)
- 👨👩👧👧 Serving: 4 servings
- 🌱 Calories: 454
- 🫘 Protein: 15 grams
- 🍠 Dietary breakdown: Vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free, nut-free and soy-free option.
- 😋 Flavor Profile: Earthy, nutty, sweet, and tangy.
- ✅ Difficulty: Beginner-friendly vegan recipe guided by step-by-step photos.
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Love for this Lentil Salad ⭐️
This healthy vegan lentil salad is fresh, bright, and perfect served cold — similar to Mediterranean-style lentil salads but with bold Sweet Potato Soul flavor.
I love this lentil salad so much that I published it in my second cookbook, Vegan Vibes (page 118). Tossed with fresh herbs, caramelized sweet potatoes, and my very versatile pomegranate vinaigrette, this legume salad always hits the spot. It’s easy to prep, high in plant-based protein and fiber, great for meal prep, and a hit at dinner parties, picnics, and BBQs.
With tender green lentils, smoky roasted sweet potatoes, flavorful herbs, and a sweet and tangy pomegranate vinaigrette, you simply can’t go wrong.
For more healthy and easy vegan salad recipes, try my Marinated White Bean Salad, Amazing Edamame Salad, Zesty Black Bean and Corn Salad, and Black Eyed Pea Salad.
Key Ingredients
Lentils: For the best cold lentil salad, use firm lentils such as green, brown, beluga, or French lentils. I recommend using French green lentils (also known as “Puy lentils” or “Le Puy lentils”) if possible. They are small, firm, have a green-blue color, taste savory and peppery, and can be found in well-stocked grocery stores and online. Cook lentils on the stove, make Instant Pot Lentils ahead of time, or use canned lentils for convenience.
Sweet Potatoes: Grab two small sweet potatoes, about one pound. Peel them, and cut them into 1/2-inch cubes.
Herbs: Go crazy with herbs here. We’re talking 1/3 cup each of chopped fresh basil, dill, mint, and cilantro — you can never have too many fresh herbs! They add freshness, sweetness, and a delightful herbal lightness, balancing the lentil salad recipe’s sweet and acidic flavors.
Pomegranate Vinaigrette: This easy homemade vinaigrette is one of my go-tos for good reason! It’s flavorful, nutritious, ready in a snap, and made with pantry staples, making it doable any time of year! You will need to grab a bottle of pomegranate molasses (Amazon), but once you have that, you’ll be set for months!
Garnish: Sprinkle the salad with toasted pumpkin seeds (directions below), lime wedges, and pomegranate seeds before serving for the ultimate noshing experience. Don’t have pumpkin seeds? Swap pistachios or chopped, toasted pecans.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Ingredient Variations
Though I am quite partial to thinking this cold lentil salad recipe is quite perfect as-is, the options for lentil salads are endless! Here are a few switch-ups to consider:
Garnish: Toppings can add variety via both texture and flavor. Instead of lime, try Meyer lemon or blood orange. Toasted pistachios or chopped pecans make a tasty substitution for toasted pumpkin seeds. Fresh berries (think: blueberries, raspberries, or blackberries) can accentuate the fruity, tangy finish. There are so many options!
Different Vegetables: Don’t have sweet potatoes? Try air fryer roasted carrots, white sweet potatoes, or a mixture of your favorite root veggies.
Squash: Swap cubed butternut, slivered acorn, or delicata squash half-moons for the sweet potatoes for a fall-forward take.
Vinaigrettes: Toss the salad with another fruity and tangy dressing, such as raspberry vinaigrette or miso maple salad dressing.
Legumes: Try another type of firm lentil (such as beluga, or brown), or swap up to 1 cup of the cooked lentils with chickpeas, edamame, or white beans. Use canned or homemade beans.
Herbs: Don’t have all the recommended fresh herbs? You can use any combination of 1 1/3 cups of chopped fresh basil, cilantro, mint, and dill. To mix things up, you can also try curly or flat-leaf parsley, chives, or tarragon.
How to Make Sweet Potato Lentil Salad
Here it is, my go-to recipe for lentil salad!
- Prepare. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Season. In a bowl, toss the cubed sweet potato with the oil, garlic powder, smoked paprika, and 1 teaspoon of the salt.
- Roast. Spread evenly onto the baking sheet or skillet, and roast until tender, 30-40 minutes.
- Simmer. While the sweet potatoes roast, cook the lentils. In a saucepan, combine the uncooked lentils, ½ teaspoon salt, and 2 cups of water and bring to a simmer. Cook over medium heat until tender, about 30 minutes. Let them cool completely. Or save time and cook the lentils in the Instant Pot.
- Make the Dressing. Combine the ingredients for the pomegranate vinaigrette in a jar. Tighten on the lid and shake until emulsified.
- Combine. In a large bowl, combine the roasted sweet potatoes, lentils, red onion, and fresh herbs. Drizzle the pomegranate vinaigrette over the salad and toss to coat.
- Serve. If possible, cover the salad and let it marinate for a few hours to develop its flavor. Garnish the salad with toasted pumpkin seeds, lime wedges, and pomegranate seeds (if using).
Jenné’s Recipe Tips
- How to toast pumpkin seeds: Add raw pumpkin seeds to a small baking pan. Spread them out and bake in a 350°F oven until fragrant and slightly golden, about 8 minutes.
- Don’t overcook the lentils. Simmer for 30 minutes until tender. Any further and they will get mushy, making for a less-than-ideal consistency.
- ⚠️ Cool the lentils completely. Use cool lentils, not warm! Warm or hot lentils will absorb too much of the dressing, making them mushy. Once cooked, cool the lentils to room temperature before adding them to the salad. To quickly chill them, spread them on a small rimmed baking sheet or large dinner plate and place them in the refrigerator for 10-15 minutes or until cool.
- Save time with canned lentils. Drain thoroughly before using.
- Prepare ahead of time. As with most bean salads, this salad with lentils gets tastier as it marinates, making it great for making ahead and meal prep. If possible, let it rest in the refrigerator for at least a few hours before serving.
- Storage directions: Leftover green lentil salad can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. I do not recommend freezing it, as the texture can break down upon thawing, making the salad mushy.
Serving Suggestions
After making this salad (with no exaggeration) 20+ times, you can say that if there’s a way to enjoy it, I’ve tried it! Here are some of my favorite ways to serve it:
- On its own. As-is, this recipe makes a zesty and flavorful side dish or light, plant-based main.
- Tossed with lettuce. An option I usually enjoy during the summer! Add up to 4 cups of your favorite greens (kale, baby greens, arugula, or baby spinach) and toss until evenly covered in the vinaigrette. It’s really good with this Baby Kale Salad recipe. Serve the salad with lentils immediately after tossing to prevent wilting.
- Spread on toast. Whether topping plain, vegan butter-brushed, or avocado toast, lentil salad is always a fun and satisfying addition.
- With a whole grain. Add steamed and cooled Instant Pot Quinoa, farro, barley, or pearl couscous for a hearty grain salad.
- In a wrap. Scoop the salad into a large burrito-sized tortilla, roll up, and enjoy for lunch or a light dinner.
- Meal prep. I love making this lentil salad with a few other vegan salads for meal prep. That way I’m guaranteed to eat healthy all week!
Lentil Salad FAQs
Yes, you can make this lentil salad ahead of time. Actually, it only gets tastier as the flavors combine. If making in advance for a party or potluck, add the chopped herbs and pumpkin seeds right before serving to keep them fresh and bright.
Firm lentils like French and black beluga are best for salads because they maintain their shape. However, brown and green lentils can work too. Avoid overcooking the lentils, and always allow them to cool completely before using in any salad recipe.
Yes, you can eat lentil salad cold. It is also delicious served at room temperature, my preference. It can even be served warm! Just be sure the lentils have cooled completely before adding to the salad. Warm lentils will get mushy when the dressing is added.
This lentil salad recipe will stay fresh in the refrigerator for up to 7 days. To keep it fresh for this long, always use a clean serving spoon to scoop the salad (never double dip).
More Lentil Recipes
Main Dishes
The Best Vegan Lentil Meatloaf
Main Dishes
Lentil Taco Meat
Soups & Stews
Butternut Squash Lentil Soup
If you made this Lentil Salad Recipe, leave a 5 star rating and review — it helps more people discover it! Thank you so much ⭐️
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Lovely Lentil Salad
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Ingredients
- 1 lb sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into ½-inch cubes (about 2 small potatoes)
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 ½ tsp sea salt
- 1 cup raw French Puy lentils, or other type of form lentils (but not red or split lentils), or 2 cups cooked lentils
- ¼ red onion, diced (about ¼ cup)
- ⅓ cup each fresh basil, dill, cilantro, and mint,, chopped
- ½ cup Pomegranate vinaigrette, plus more to taste
- Toasted pumpkin seeds, (see note) to garnish
- Lime wedges, to squeeze/garnish
- Pomegranate seeds, to garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a bowl, toss the cubed sweet potato with the oil, garlic powder, smoked paprika, and 1 teaspoon of the salt. Spread evenly onto the baking sheet or skillet, and roast until tender, 30-40 minutes.
- In a saucepan, combine the uncooked lentils, ½ teaspoon salt, and 2 cups of water and bring to a simmer. Cook over medium heat until tender, about 30 minutes. Let them cool completely.
- In a large bowl, combine the roasted sweet potatoes, lentils, red onion, and fresh herbs. Drizzle the pomegranate vinaigrette over the salad and toss to coat. Serve garnished with toasted pumpkin seeds, lime wedges, and pomegranate seeds (if using).
Notes
- How to toast pumpkin seeds: Add raw pumpkin seeds to a small baking pan. Spread them out and bake in a 350°F oven until fragrant and slightly golden, about 8 minutes.
- Storage directions: Leftover green lentil salad can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. I do not recommend freezing it, as the texture can break down upon thawing, making the salad mushy.
- Don’t overcook the lentils. Simmer for 30 minutes until tender. Any further and they will get mushy, making for a less-than-ideal consistency.
- Prepare ahead of time. As with most bean salads, this salad with lentils gets tastier as it marinates, making it great for making ahead and meal prep. If possible, let it rest in the refrigerator for at least a few hours before serving.
This was so flavorful and delicious! All of the herbs are so amazing and make it smell like walking through a garden. For the vinaigrette, I didn’t have pomegranate molasses, so I swapped it for blueberry balsamic and it still turned out great. Will definitely be using this flavor combo for roasted sweet potatoes in the future for other dishes as well.
Oooh, Mandy I’m glad to hear that swap worked. Blueberry balsamic sounds like something I’ve got to get my hands on 😃
Such great flavors. I prepped the lentils and baked the sweet potatoes before making the salad to make it quick to put together when I wanted to make it. And I used frozen, cubed sweet potatoes to save time. Really delicious. Add the pomegranate arils if you have them – it really takes this over the top. I served it over baby spinach, which worked great. I’ll definitely add this to my rotation.
Yum! Glad it turned out great with frozen sweet potatoes too. Thanks for sharing!
This recipe is absolutely delicious! I’ve made it at least twice and really enjoyed it. the combination of textures and flavors are yummy. It makes a lot and I eat the whole thing myself! I believe my non-vegan family and friends would enjoy it so I need to remember this recipe for my next social gathering. Well done Jenne!
Fantastic! That’s really nice to hear. Thank you, Stacye!
This was really good. It was super easy to make, simple ingredients, and extremely delicious. It even tastes great without the dressing. The pomegranates and sweet potatoes add just the right amount of sweetness to this savory dish. I’ll definitely be keeping this in rotation. I ate it plain as-is, but next time I’ll try it with the suggested naan bread or mixed into a salad.
Thank you Kelly! So glad you enjoyed it.
To make this the best lentil salad, be sure to let your lentils cool completely before using. Warm lentils will make a mushy salad 🙁
See the note under the recipe about cooling the lentils quickly.
Save time by using canned lentils––drain them well.
Yum! I really like the lentil and sweet potato combo and the fresh herbs add a lot of flavor. I served with some bulgur and roasted cauliflower. I very nice dish.
Glad you enjoyed it, Laura! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Yummy but a little mushy. Perhaps didn’t wait long enough to put in the vinaigrette and may have overcooked the lentils. Really love the sweet potatoes! Plan on incorporating roasted sweet potatoes in my rotation. Vinaigrette was good but a little too sour for me.
Yes, it’s very important to let the lentils cool before adding the dressing. They will firm as they cool, so keep that in mind for the next day.
Thanks!
Ps much firmer the next day and the dressing not sour! delicious!💕
Fantastic!! Thank you, Eileen!
This was delicious paired with arugula, kalamata olives, pickled golden beets, and tomatoes. The salad didn’t need any additional dressing the lime juice was perfect. I substituted parsley for mint, and sunflower seeds for pumpkin. The only note I’d add is specifying how much sweet potato to add to to the recipe, I only had big sweet potatoes and had to guess.
Thanks for sharing, Smith!
I made the Lovely Lentil Salad for dinner this evening. I topped it with roasted pistachios instead of pumpkin seeds which added a sweet crunch. I could not find pomegranate molasses in the store so I used pomegranate juice and honey as a substitute. The vinaigrette is quite lovely and its tangy/sweet flavor compliments the savory foundation of the salad. The herbs elevate the dish with notes of freshness. Unfortunately I cooked the lentils too long so the texture was mushier than preferred. I wasn’t blown away by this dish, but again, I’m sure it’s due to user error ( the mushiness killed it for me). But, I understand how the flavors should work together and will try it again.
Hi Marnie. Hopefully once the dish cools down the lentils will firm up and make a better texture.
Made this amazing recipe today an am having it for brunch. WOW is it packed with flavor and zip from the dressing. I give it an 11 out of 10!
Fantastic!! I am so happy to hear that, Meegan 🙂 Thanks for sharing!