Warm Vegan Lentil Salad with Tempeh (Gluten-Free)
This vegan lentils salad is packed full of protein and the perfect option for lunch or when you need a delicious meal on the go.
I absolutely adore warm salads that have a great depth of flavour and can be pre-prepared. A vegan lentil salad like this is great for sharing as a side or having it as a main.
I either like to have super basic salads like plain lettuce or rocket (arugula) with simple vinegar, olive oil, and salt dressing. Or something with lots of flavours that is more of a meal like this Red Rice Salad with a Tahini Dressing or this Mediterranean Pearled Couscous Salad that I made just yesterday for lunch.
This meal is perfect for making on the weekend and eating it over a couple of days as it’s nice chilled as well.
Highlights of this vegan lentil salad
- The addition of tempeh makes this salad extra “meaty”
- It’s gluten-free
- You can eat it warm or cold
- It’s filling and nutrient-dense
It’s also the perfect addition to your holiday spread. It makes a great side dish to pair with other wonderful recipes.
Other recipes you’ll love:
- Simple Potato and Radicchio Salad
- Rainbow Falafel Salad
- Easy Vegan Brown Lentil Stew
- Vegan Buddha Bowl Three Ways
- Vegan Red Rice Salad with Tahini Dressing
If you try this recipe, let me know! I’d love for you to leave a comment and rating below. If you want to go that extra mile, tag us on Instagram or share your photo of the recipe on Pinterest.
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Warm Vegan Lentil Salad with Tempeh (Gluten-Free)
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: Serves 2
Description
Enjoy this gluten-free, protein-packed vegan lentil salad with tempeh. Eat it warm, or enjoy it cold. It makes a great main meal or on the side of other dishes. The options are endless!
Ingredients
- 1 cup dry brown lentils,* soaked for at least 8 hours
- ¼ cup rice bran oil (use half to bake beetroots & to fry tempeh)
- 4 small / 550g / 1.21 pounds beetroots, peeled and cut into wedges
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 250g / 8.82 ounces green beans, trimmed and halved
- 150g / 5.29 ounces pre-marinated tempeh, chopped into cubes
- 85g / 3 ounces baby spinach
- 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped or minced
Dressing:
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celcius / 390 degrees Fahrenheit fan-forced and lightly grease a baking tray. Set aside.
- Wash the soaked lentils and add them to a saucepan along with 3 cups / 750ml of water and bring it to a rapid simmer on medium-high heat. Then reduce the heat to a gentle simmer. Cook, uncovered, for 20-30 minutes. Lentils are cooked as soon as they are tender and no longer crunchy.
- Once cooked, strain the lentils and give them a quick rinse. Return them to the saucepan and stir in a good pinch of salt.
- While the lentils are simmering, toss the beetroot with 2 tablespoons of the oil and salt. Place them on the baking tray we prepared earlier and place them in the oven for 20 minutes.
- While the beetroot is baking, place the beans in a saucepan of boiling water for 8 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking process. Set aside.
- In a frying pan on medium-high heat, add the other 2 tablespoons of oil, add the tempeh and fry on each side for 1-2 minutes until it starts to crisp up and brown a little.
- Add in the garlic and baby spinach and cook for another minute. Take off heat and set aside.
- Make the dressing as per the recipe.
- Combine the cooked lentils, beetroot, beans, tempeh with garlic and spinach, and the dressing all in a bowl. Toss well and serve.
Notes
Lentils: If you don’t have dry brown lentils, use 3 cups / 500g of cooked lentils from a can. They are softer than home-cooked lentils, so keep in mind it will slightly change the salad’s texture. Drain and rinse them before using.Â
this was delicious! We all enjoyed it very much. I cooked the lentils in the instant pot and roasted the beets (along with carrots and baby turnips) in the air fryer. Wonderful way to use up all sorts of vegies from the garden.
I would LOVE it if your website had a search function! Makes it hard to find recipes without it.
thanks!
Cathy
another change – I used the greens from the baby turnips and beets instead of spinach. We try to use the whole plant since we’re growing them! Added a big handful of minced flat leaf parsley too since it’s in massive abundance in the garden right now.
Hi Cathy, I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed it and thanks for sharing all the changes and additions you made 🙂
Regarding the search function, there is one already on the website. It’s the orange magnifying glass on the bottom right-hand side on mobile and desktop. Please let me know if you can’t see it on your end. That should help you search for recipes on the website. Thanks again