{"id":194582,"title":"Lentil salad with grilled zucchini and feta","modified":"2026-10-30T20:56:35+01:00","plain":"A brown lentil salad with pan-seared zucchini, feta, arugula, and balsamic-marinated red onion.\n\n\n\nA lentil salad with both crunch and tenderness : zucchini with caramelized edges, salty feta, peppery arugula, and toasted hemp seeds scattered on top. Brown lentils, balsamic-marinated red onion, and a touch of maple syrup tie it all together. Allow 30 minutes for two generous servings using canned lentils.\n\n\n\nWhat Is Lentil Salad ?\n\n\n\nLentil salad is made with cooked legumes that retain their shape, served cold or warm and brightened with an acidic dressing. Here, 125 g of cooked brown lentils form the base, along with one pan-seared zucchini, 100 g of crumbled feta, and three generous handfuls of arugula.\n\n\n\nThe red onion, sliced into thin half-moons, marinates in balsamic vinegar while everything cooks ; that vinegar is then used to dress the arugula. Garlic, chili, oregano, and rosemary flavor the zucchini, and dry-toasted hemp seeds finish the dish.\n\n\n\nAlong the same lines : Beet and lentil salad.\n\n\n\nThe Origins of This Version\n\n\n\nIn France, lentil salad is often made with a mustard vinaigrette, sometimes with shallots or fresh herbs. This version takes a more Mediterranean direction : brown lentils, balsamic vinegar, feta, arugula, and pan-seared zucchini.\n\n\n\nThe principle remains the same, a cooked base that holds its shape and a vinegar-based dressing. Marinated red onion and toasted hemp seeds add contrast, while the browned zucchini adds tenderness. With canned lentils, you can make it year-round.\n\n\n\nThe Main Ingredients\n\n\n\nUse canned brown lentils, rinsed and weighed after draining, or 60 g of dried lentils soaked for about 4 hours, then cooked for half an hour, starting in cold water. Either way, let them dry out a little and cool so they do not make the salad soggy.\n\n\n\nAnother recipe in the same spirit : Beet salad.\n\n\n\nThe zucchini, cut into pieces, is browned in avocado oil, mild olive oil, or high-oleic sunflower oil. Three pressed garlic cloves, 1 teaspoon of chili flakes, 1 of dried oregano, and 1 of dried rosemary add flavor, then 2 tablespoons of maple syrup coat it at the end. The feta can be dairy or plant-based.\n\n\n\nDress the arugula with 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and the balsamic vinegar from the onion. Two generous handfuls of hemp seeds add a final crunch.\n\n\n\nCooking Tips and Serving\n\n\n\nStart by marinating the onion in at least 3 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar, stirring occasionally. Brown the zucchini over medium-high heat on all sides until lightly caramelized ; after about ten minutes, add the garlic, chili, and herbs, then the maple syrup during the final minute. Meanwhile, dry-toast the hemp seeds and keep a close eye on them : nothing happens at first, then things move very quickly.\n\n\n\nOn the same theme : Greek salad.\n\n\n\nTo serve, divide the dressed arugula among the plates, then top with the lentils mixed with the zucchini and crumbled feta. Finish with the marinated onion and hemp seeds. Served for two, the salad makes a complete meal ; in smaller portions, it pairs with grilled vegetables.\n\n\n\n\n\n\tLentil, Grilled Zucchini and Feta Salad\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t125 g brown lentils (cooked, canned weighed after draining, 60 g dried lentils)1 zucchini3 generous handfuls arugula1 red onion (small)3 cloves garlic100 g feta (dairy or plant-based)2 tablespoons maple syrup (or maple-flavored liquid sweetener)1 teaspoon chili flakes1 teaspoon oregano (dried)1 teaspoon rosemary (dried)2 tablespoons olive oil (extra virgin)2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar2 generous handfuls hemp seedsAvocado oil, mild olive oil or high-oleic sunflower oil (for saut\u00e9ing the zucchini)\t\n\t\n\t\tIf using dried lentils: soak them in a mixing bowl with plenty of water for about 4 hours. Rinse in a small strainer. Then cook for half an hour (starting in cold water). Drain and let them dry slightly and cool. If using canned lentils, simply give them a quick rinse in the small strainer and let them dry slightly. You can do this while the zucchini is in the frying pan.Cut the onion into fairly thin half-moons and set aside in a small container with a generous amount of balsamic vinegar. Use at least about 3 tablespoons, leaving 2 for the salad dressing. Stir occasionally.Cut the zucchini into pieces and brown on all sides over medium-high heat until they start to caramelize lightly.Press the garlic and add it once the zucchini has been in the frying pan for about ten minutes. Saut\u00e9 with the chili flakes, rosemary and oregano. Add the maple syrup (or maple-flavored sweetener) during the last minute.Meanwhile, toast the hemp seeds (without oil). Stay close by, as not much happens at first, but they suddenly toast very quickly toward the end.Toss the arugula with two tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and some balsamic vinegar. Divide among the plates.Mix the lentils with the zucchini and crumble in the feta. Spoon over the arugula.Scatter the onion over the top and finish with a sprinkling of hemp seeds.\t\n\t\n\t\tChoose your feta to suit your needs if you avoid dairy products, cow\u2019s milk, lactose or A1 casein.\nEquipment: PFAS-free frying pans (or cast iron if you are used to cooking with it), Saucepan (if cooking the lentils yourself), Mixing bowl, Small strainer, Small container, Garlic press.\n\t\n\t\n\t\tSaladeFran\u00e7aise","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/194582","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=194582"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/194582\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/193979"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=194582"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=194582"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=194582"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}