Cool yogurt, crunchy seeds, and avocado turn lentils into a lunch salad you’ll actually be excited to eat. Serve it with warm pita for swiping up the garlicky yogurt. We have Heidi Swanson, the vegetarian cookbook author and blogger behind 101 Cookbooks, to thank for this lightning-fast weeknight dinner recipe.
Ingredients
4 servings
1½
¾
1⅓
2
½
1
1
3
1
1
1
Preparation
Step 1
Cook lentils in a large saucepan of simmering salted water until they are tender but still retain their shape, 20–30 minutes. Drain, rinse under cold running water, and drain well again.
Step 2
Mix yogurt, garlic, turmeric, ¼ tsp. salt, and a generous grind of pepper in a small bowl to combine; set aside.
Step 3
Toss lentils, sunflower seeds, lemon juice, 3 Tbsp. oil, and remaining ½ tsp. salt in a large bowl. Gently fold in avocado, arugula, and basil.
Step 4
Spread reserved yogurt sauce across a platter and spoon lentil mixture on top; drizzle with oil.
Leave a Review
Reviews (27)
Back to TopThis was very good, bit it needs more lemon juice and spice, maybe some read pepper flakes? Otherwise, loved the yogurt base. We paired with roasted tofu and had a fun meal!
Anonymous
Connecticut
6/15/2023
My family loved it and the bright yellow sauce edging the lentils looked so cheerful that I thought I'd like to take this to a potluck :) I made a couple of substations based on what I have on hand (spinach>arugula, pumpkin seeds & almonds>sunflowers seeds). It all worked out great.
Terri
Victoria, BC
7/19/2021
Excellent and healthy. Love it as written.
Vicki Bennett
Portland Oregon
12/23/2020
This is great! I've made this salad a number of times now and its almost always for a group of people. It always wins the people over who have never had much to do with lentils before. I do have to note that i add the lemon rind finely grated as well as the juice and a tiny amount of cumin to the yoghurt mixture, this just changes the flavour in a way i way i like. Pepitas instead of sunflower seeds are also a great substitution or a mixture of both. Perfect for a family BBQ on a hot day.
Jack
Western Australia
11/11/2020
I wasn’t blown away by the original recipe on its own but it’s easy to modify, so use whatever you’ve got on hand! I omitted the avocado, subbed pepitas for sunflower seeds, and included sliced scallion in the salad mix. Also topped it with some ground pork for heft. It needs acid, so don’t omit the lemon (could also maybe sub vinegar here). I used nondairy Greek-style yogurt (Kite Hill) it worked like a charm. Looking forward to trying it with other folks’ recommended add-ins!
Anonymous
Tennessee
6/15/2020
Lazy girl adjustment: Swap the sauce the pre-bought hummus and only season with; salt, pepper, lemon juice. Still delicious
KAIPIRINHA
Sweden
4/18/2020
Loved it. Perfect for a hot summer day or night
SoleC
Argentina
1/21/2020
love a riffable recipe. I did one clove of garlic and a heap of chopped scallions for the yogurt. I just sprinkled some arugula on top of a swirl of yogurt, tossed some of the lentils on top of that, and instead of basil I topped with cilantro and more scallions. And then a fried egg on top! and a squeeze of lemon. I'm sure it would've been bomb with a bit of pita.
seymourkitty
Portland
12/27/2019
It PAINS ME to leave a negative review but alas, this was so disappointing I must. The texture of this was about the only thing I enjoyed about this salad. The flavors just weren't jiving. I made this for lunch and ended up having to doctor it significantly in order to enjoy it. Someone else recommended roasted squash which helped jazz it up, along with Brianna's French Vinaigrette & some chicken breast. Another day I threw in leftover peppers & onions and Beyond sausage. I tossed the yogurt altogether. Overall, not my favorite even though this sounds like a total winner. It needs some love to get it to a great place! Sorry BA!!
Amber Anderson
Boston
10/30/2019
I thought this was pretty good. It's not the typical fall-out-of-my-chair amazingness that I find in most other Bon Appetit recipes. I liked the crunch of the sunflower seeds and the turmeric in the yogurt. I didn't dare use raw garlic (you're welcome, co-workers). Instead I sauteed it in olive oil to soften the bite then used the oil in the lentil dressing. If I make it again, I might alter it to dial it up the flavor a bit.
Anonymous
Los Angeles
10/7/2019
This was pretty good, not great enough to want to make it again though. I don’t know if my garlic cloves were particularly large or potent, but my garlic breath was REAL after eating the yogurt. Definitely recommend eating it all with some toasted pita or the texture might get too soft after a while.
soapnana
Chicago
10/5/2019
Pretty good, though I didn’t salt the water when I made the lentils 😑. Will be trying a little sesame oil and red chili flakes on top of the leftovers—it needs something.
Anonymous
Lansing, Michigan
10/1/2019
This recipe was an almost-miss. The avocado didn't work at all, but some roasted squash might have gone well with it. I gave the thinly sliced garlic a quick browning in a pan with some olive oil and that saved it for me.
Anonymous
NYC
9/22/2019
This was a big miss for me and I was pretty surprised because I love pretty much all of the ingredients. It just needed something more, but I couldn't figure out what.
Anonymous
chicago, il
9/18/2019
Excellent! Liked that I could get it already in advance and then put it together later. Served it with whole grain seeded toast points. Be sure not to overlook lentils. Best when they have a little body to them.
loril
Houston
9/18/2019