Red Meat Allergy Friendly Pomegranate & Mint Lentil Salad with Cucumber

Total time50 min

Prep time15 min

Cook time25 min

Red Meat Allergy Friendly Pomegranate & Mint Lentil Salad with Cucumber

Bright, jewel-toned, and packed with texture, this lentil salad is the kind of dish that looks impressive but comes together with minimal effort. Green or French lentils hold their shape beautifully after cooking, giving you that satisfying bite alongside cool cucumber, juicy pomegranate arils, and a generous handful of fresh mint. The cumin-and-turmeric dressing ties everything together with warm, earthy depth that keeps each forkful interesting from start to finish. For anyone navigating a red meat allergy, plant-based protein sources like lentils are an absolute staple — and this recipe leans into that fully, with zero animal products that could trigger a reaction. Every ingredient here is straightforward and easy to verify, so there's no guesswork about hidden meat-derived additives or cross-contamination from processed foods. The whole bowl is built on whole, recognizable ingredients you can feel confident about. This salad works equally well as a light lunch, a side at a dinner party, or something to meal-prep for the week since the lentils actually absorb the dressing even better after a rest in the fridge. A squeeze of extra lemon right before serving keeps everything tasting fresh and vibrant.

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Ingredients

4 servings

For the lentils

1 cup green or french lentils, rinsed
Bob's Red Mill Green Lentils, Petite French Style, 1 lb 8 oz (680 g)Simple Truth Organic Green Lentils Shiloh Farms Organic Green Lentils Bob's Red Mill - Beans Pet Fr Green Lentil Full Circle Organic Green Lentils
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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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