Vegan Lentil Pasta Salad with Dill
This hearty, herb-forward salad is the kind of dish that earns a permanent spot in your warm-weather rotation — and honestly, it holds its own year-round. French green lentils bring a satisfying bite and earthy depth, while short pasta makes it filling enough to serve as a main for six without anyone leaving the table hungry. The bright lemon-Dijon vinaigrette, built with olive oil, red wine vinegar, and a touch of maple syrup, ties everything together with a tangy, slightly sweet finish that keeps you going back for another forkful. A generous half-cup of fresh dill is the real star here — it lifts the whole bowl and gives the salad a distinctly fresh, almost garden-party feel that dried herbs simply can't replicate. Crisp cucumber, juicy cherry tomatoes, and finely diced red onion add color and crunch in every bite. Everything in this recipe is naturally plant-based, so there's no swapping or substituting required — just straightforward, whole ingredients doing exactly what they're supposed to do. Make it ahead, let it chill for at least 30 minutes, and the flavors deepen into something that tastes like you put in far more effort than you actually did.
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Learn more →Ingredients
6 servings
For the salad
- 1 cup french green lentils (du puy), rinsed
- 8 oz dry short pasta (rotini, fusilli, or farfalle)
- 1 english cucumber, diced
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- ½ red onion, finely diced
- ½ cup fresh dill, roughly chopped
- ¼ cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
For the vinaigrette
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice (from about 1 large lemon)
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp dijon mustard
- 1 tsp maple syrup
- 1 small garlic clove, finely grated
- ¾ tsp salt, plus more for pasta water
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- ¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Place the lentils in a medium saucepan and cover with 3 cups of cold water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to a steady simmer and cook until the lentils are tender but still hold their shape, 18–22 minutes. Drain through a colander, rinse briefly under cold water, and spread on a plate to cool.
- 2
Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to package directions until al dente, tender with a slight resistance at the center. Drain, rinse under cold water until no longer warm, and shake off excess water.
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