Beef Free Pomegranate & Mint Lentil Salad with Cucumber

Total time50 min

Prep time15 min

Cook time25 min

4.6

(14)

Beef Free Pomegranate & Mint Lentil Salad with Cucumber

Bright, jewel-toned, and packed with texture, this lentil salad is the kind of dish that looks like it took serious effort but comes together with surprisingly little fuss. Green or French lentils hold their shape beautifully after cooking, giving you that satisfying bite that makes a salad feel like an actual meal. The dressing — built on olive oil, fresh lemon juice, cumin, and turmeric — soaks into the warm lentils as they cool, layering in warmth and citrusy depth before a single vegetable even hits the bowl. Then come the real showstoppers: crisp cucumber, juicy pomegranate arils, and torn fresh mint that make every forkful feel refreshing and a little celebratory. Scallion greens and optional parsley round things out with a gentle savory note that ties everything together. Every single ingredient here is plant-based and naturally free from any animal proteins, so there's zero guesswork about what's in it — just clean, whole-food cooking from start to finish. It works equally well as a light lunch, a potluck centerpiece, or a make-ahead side that actually gets better as it sits.

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Ingredients

4 servings

For the lentils

1 cup green or french lentils, rinsed
2 ½ cups water
½ tsp salt

For the dressing

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3 tbsp fresh lemon juice (from about 1 large lemon)
1 tsp ground cumin
½ tsp ground turmeric
¼ tsp black pepper
¼ tsp salt

For the salad

1 english cucumber, diced (about 2 cups)
¾ cup pomegranate arils
½ cup fresh mint leaves, roughly torn
3 scallions (green tops only), thinly sliced
¼ cup flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped (optional)

Instructions

1
Combine the rinsed lentils, water, and ½ tsp salt in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and cook, uncovered, until the lentils are tender but still hold their shape, 20–25 minutes. Drain any remaining water and spread the lentils on a large plate or sheet pan to cool for 10 minutes.
2
While the lentils cool, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, cumin, turmeric, black pepper, and ¼ tsp salt in a small bowl until the dressing is uniform and slightly thickened.

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