Artificial Flavors Free Turmeric-Ginger Lentil & Cucumber Salad
Bright, earthy, and genuinely satisfying, this lentil and cucumber salad is the kind of bowl that feels like it's doing something good for you with every bite. The dressing is built entirely from scratch — fresh lemon juice, grated ginger, ground turmeric, garlic, and cumin whisked together with extra virgin olive oil — so you know exactly what's going into it without having to decode a label. That matters more than people realize, because bottled dressings and spice blends are some of the sneakiest places artificial flavors tend to hide. Here, every layer of flavor comes from a real, whole ingredient. The lentils are simmered until just tender, then tossed warm with the dressing so they soak up all that golden, gingery goodness before the crisp cucumber, fresh parsley, and crunchy pumpkin seeds go in. It's a salad that actually holds up — no wilting, no sad greens — and works just as well packed for lunch the next day as it does served fresh. Clean, punchy, and completely made from scratch.
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Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
For the lentils
- 1 cup green or french lentils, rinsed
- 3 cups water
- ½ tsp salt
For the dressing
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice (from about 1 ½ lemons)
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 1 tsp fresh ginger, finely grated
- 1 small garlic clove, finely minced
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- ¼ tsp salt
For the salad
- 1 english cucumber, halved lengthwise and sliced into half-moons
- ½ cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
- 3 scallions (green tops only), thinly sliced
- ¼ cup dry-roasted pumpkin seeds
- ¼ tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Combine the rinsed lentils, water, and 1/2 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, turmeric, grated ginger, garlic, cumin, black pepper, and 1/4 tsp salt in a small bowl until the dressing is uniform in color and the oil is fully emulsified.
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