Name: Make-Ahead Lentil Salad
Cook time: 20 minutes
Total time: 30 minutes
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 1 large bunch Tuscan kale (about 10 oz.); Kosher salt; ½ cup raw almonds; 3 scallions; 4 garlic cloves; 1 lemon; ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil; 1½ cups black beluga or French green lentils; 1 Tbsp. cumin seeds; ½ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes; 5 oz. feta; 1 cup Castelvetrano olives

A big kale and lentil salad in a serving bowl with torn olives and strips of lemon peel.

Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Taneka Morris, Prop Styling by Tim Ferro

This lentil salad recipe answers the question, “What can I meal prep on Sunday that will taste great at my desk for lunch on Wednesday?” It’s got lots of lentils to keep you full, kale (for health!), salty olives, crunchy nuts, and just the right amount of feta cheese. It’s all tossed with a lemon dressing made with garlicky spiced oil. The salad is also fairly flexible. If you have some chickpeas, cherry tomatoes, or a diced red onion or red bell pepper on hand, you could add them, but it’s really not necessary. It’s also a great time to use up a pile of herbs: Any mix of chopped fresh mint, parsley, cilantro, or dill would be delicious here.

Be sure to use beluga or French lentils (sometimes called lentils du puy, though they are technically not the same), which hold their shape when cooked. (Brown or red lentils will get too soft—you’ll end up with lentil soup rather than a great salad.) And cook them yourself—canned lentils aren’t nearly as good, and you can use the (very short) cooking time to get the rest of the salad ingredients together.

For a Mediterranean-ish dinner party, serve this as a side dish with grilled fish or roasted chicken stuffed with fresh herbs and dressed with fresh lemon juice, plus tahini-rich hummus (drizzle a bit of the leftover vinaigrette over it). Store leftovers in an airtight container for the next day and the days after that.

Find the perfect bottle to pair with this dish at our expert-curated Bon Appétit Wine Shop.