Lentil Salad with Apple and Fennel

This Lentil Salad with Apple and Fennel is an absolute dream 😍!! I was out with a friend and she had this salad as a side on her starter. I tried it and immediately fell in love with the flavor combination. It is simple, yet sophisticated, and easy, yet distinguished. Sincerely, it only consists of a few ingredients but those work so well together that you just have different bursts of flavor and texture.

The sauce for this salad is even simpler. I only added lemon juice and good, quality olive oil. That was it. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and voila. I love this time of the year when produce becomes so much more flavorful. It feels that after all the root vegetables and squashes this kind of freshness is a wonderful welcome.

I deliberately kept the photoshoot simple so that the ingredients could shine as they are. And I have to say, I very much like the end result 🥰. We could not wait to devour this beauty once it was shot, as it also served as our dinner for that night. All bellies were happy around here on that evening 😋.

Why is this Lentil Salad with Apple and Fennel good for me?

Lentils

There is so much goodness in lentils! Lentils are part of the legume family and are oftentimes categorized by their color. For this salad, I used beluga lentils (as they keep their shape well, do not go “mushy” even if cooked a tad longer, and taste great either warm or cold). Lentils are an inexpensive food staple that is super nutritious! It contains a lot of plant-based protein, fiber, vitamin B6. It is also rich in a range of micronutrients – iron, magnesium, phosphorous, potassium, zinc, copper, and manganese. Lentils also contain antioxidants. They are especially rich in polyphenols. The specific antioxidants found in lentils are anti-inflammatory and may have a neuroprotective effect. In lab tests, these antioxidants were also able to stop cancer growth in cancerous skin cells. Whereas more research will have to go into this topic (including research on the human body), these initial results are highly promising.

Last but not least (and you may have guessed this one already), lentils are great for protecting your heart. We know that dietary fiber is beneficial for the heart. This is primarily driven by its two main advantages of lowering blood pressure, as well reducing “bad” cholesterol levels. Eating lentils specifically has been positively associated with significantly increasing your “good” cholesterol levels, whilst at the same time reducing both “bad” cholesterol and triglyceride levels. Not too bad for such a small legume – am I right 😉?!

How can I adjust this Lentil Salad with Apple and Fennel to my Dietary Requirements?

This recipe is gluten-free, vegetarian, vegan, and nut-free. As lentils are considered grains, this recipe is, sadly, not suitable for the paleo lifestyle.

Similar Recipes on the Blog

There are so many delicious “salad” recipes on the blog 😍. I am putting salad into quotation marks, because anyone who knows me knows that I am not “just” presenting you with a salad but always a delicious, super flavorful meal.

• Italian Anti Pasti Salad
• Wild Rice Salad with Butternut Squash
• Spicy Peanut Butter Noodle Salad
• Tuscan Style Tomato and Bread Salad (Panzanella)
• Fig and Arugula Salad with Buffalo Mozzarella

And that is it for this week 🤗. I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we did over here. I have no doubt that this will be one of those dishes that we will create time and time again. As always – I love to hear from you!! So please feel free to either leave a comment below and/or rate the recipe. Thank you so much in advance!! Happy salad making everyone 🥳.

Lentil Salad with Apple and Fennel

5 from 2 votes

Recipe by Ann Robejsek Course: Main, side, starterCuisine: Italian-inspiredDifficulty: Easy

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

15

minutes

Cooking Time

20

minutes

Total time

25

minutes

This Lentil Salad with Apple and Fennel is beyond flavorful and delicious. Do not be fooled by the few simple ingredients – they shine!!

Ingredients

• For the salad

• 1 cup 1 beluga lentils (dry)

• 1 medium 1 apple

• 1 small 1 fennel bulb

• A large bunch of parsley

• For the dressing

• 6 tbsp 6 lemon juice, about one large lemon

• 6 tbsp 6 good quality olive oil

• Salt and pepper to taste

How to

• For the salad
• Add the lentils to a sieve and wash until the water runs clear. Add to a small pot with 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil and then set the heat to a low setting. Let the lentils simmer until they are done – softer on the outside but still with a bit of bite in the middle. Mine took about 20 minutes to cook
• Meanwhile, wash and finely cut both the apple and fennel (be sure to eliminate the green stalk). Add to a bowl. Now wash and finely chop the parsley and also add to the bowl. Once the lentils are done, discard any remaining water and run them under cold water for a second. Add along to the bowl with the rest of the ingredients
• For the dressing
• Add the lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper to the salad and toss. Do a taste test and potentially adjust any of the flavorings. That is it! Serve immediately or refrigerate for a slightly later time (the salad keeps well for up to three days in the fridge). Enjoy!!