Make this potato and lentil salad with only four ingredients plus herbs and a vinaigrette for an easy, healthy weeknight dinner. The French green lentils and potatoes make this a filling dish and it's lightened with fresh cherry tomatoes and a bright vinaigrette. But the secret to this recipe is the fresh oregano.
This is also a great dish for parties since it can be made ahead and stored in the refrigerator.
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Most beans are great in salads. White beans are popular in a broccoli salad. I order a kale and chickpea salad at a local restaurant every week and often make this sheet pan chickpea and feta cheese salad with roasted tomatoes.
Lentil salads can be made with brown lentils, French green lentils, and black lentils, but brown lentils don't hold their shape as well.
🤓 What are French Green Lentils
French green lentils are a type of green lentils also known as Le Puy lentils. Here are a few characteristics:
- They're smaller than other green lentils and brown lentils and they have a mottled appearance with a beautiful green-gray color before they're cooked.
- Their flavor is earthy and with hints of black pepper.
- What makes them special is that they hold their shape very well when cooked making them an excellent choice for salads.
Read this post on lentils for more information. It shares information on how to cook all kinds of lentils and the best ways to use them.
❤️ Why you'll love this recipe
- Simple ingredients. These are ingredients you may already have on hand, making this a wonderful last-minute dinner.
- Easy. There are no special techniques to learn with this recipe.
- Make-ahead friendly. Make the lentils and potatoes ahead of time and store them in the refrigerator for up to one week.
- Vegan and gluten-free. This dish works for a wide variety of diets.
🧅 Ingredients Notes
Go to the Recipe Card at the bottom of this post for all of the ingredients, measurements, and directions. The ingredients with additional information are listed there.
- French green lentils (Le Puy lentils) - most markets carry this type of lentil, but if you can't find them, use brown lentils.
- Baby yellow potatoes - I'm able to buy these baby potatoes at my market. They're so small that I don't need to cut them up before tossing them into the salad.
- Fresh oregano - Dried oregano doesn't give the same punch of flavor. Fresh marjoram herb can be substituted.
- Sherry wine vinegar - This is my favorite vinegar to use with earth lentils. It has just right amount of sharp tang.
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links to products and foods I use in my kitchen. This means that at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. To view my entire storefront of recommended kitchen tools and equipment, check out my shop on Amazon.
🧊 Can I make this dish ahead?
- Make the lentils and potatoes ahead for a super easy dinner that comes together in about 15 minutes. Store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4 - 5 days.
- You can also make the vinaigrette a week ahead and store it in a jar on the counter at room temperature.
I do not recommend making the entire salad ahead of time and then storing it in the refrigerator. This salad is at its best with freshly sliced tomatoes and fresh herbs.
💡Ideas for Possible Variations
- If you like a little heat, mince half of a jalapeño pepper or a small Serrano pepper. Be sure to remove the seeds and pith of the peppers first.
- For a crunchy topping, I sometimes add crispy quinoa that I keep on the counter in a jar.
- If you want to add some greens, I suggest arugula. It has a great bite that melds well with the lentils and sherry vinaigrette.
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Simple Potato and Lentil Salad with Tomatoes
Ingredients
Lentil and Potato Salad
- ½ cup French lentils or 1 ¼ cups cooked lentils
- 8 ounces baby yellow potatoes see the Ingredient Notes in the post
- ½ cup halved cherry tomatoes
- ¼ cup sliced scallions
- ¼ cup chopped Italian parsley
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano leaves or more, to taste
Vinaigrette
- ½ cup sherry wine vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
Instructions
Lentil Potato Salad
- Cook the lentils according to the package directions, or check out this post on how to cook lentils.
- Bring a pot of well-salted water to a boil and add the potatoes. If you use small baby potatoes, there's no need to peel or cut them up. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for about 10 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. Drain and cool.
- Toss the sliced scallions, tomatoes, parsley, and oregano together in a large bowl. Add the lentils and potatoes and toss with half of the vinaigrette. Let the vinaigrette soak in for a few minutes, and add the rest (or as much as you want).
Vinaigrette
- Whisk together the vinegar, mustard, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Whisk in the oil.
Rita
Yumm! Never thought to combine potatoes and lentils. Love it. Looks delish.
The Wimpy Vegetarian
Thanks Rita! They go surprisingly well together - especially with a vinaigrette! Happy Memorial Day Weekend!!
lizthechef
Nice combo - I will try the next time I make potato salad. Would the French green lentils work here? I am not familiar with Beluga lentils, Susan.
The Wimpy Vegetarian
Absolutely Liz, French green lentils would be wonderful in this! Happy Memorial Day weekend, my friend 🙂
apuginthekitchen
Really nice salad I love the idea of adding lentils and tomatoes to the salad. I do love a potato salad with mayo, always have but love variations also, potato salad just screams summer. Have a wonderful holiday weekend.
The Wimpy Vegetarian
Thanks Suzanne! I have yet to meet a potato salad I didn't love 🙂 Happy Memorial Day weekend!! Hope you have something delicious planned.
Norma Chang
Great combo, lentil and potatoes keeping this recipe for when I harvest my fingerlings, well first I need to plant them which will be this weekend (too cold to plant earlier).
The Wimpy Vegetarian
Thanks Norma! I'm so excited to tell you I planted my first vegetable garden in a few years. It's a new house with great sun exposure. I've still got some seedlings to get in, but over half is now planted for awhile. I can't wait to watch it grow 🙂
Norma Chang
Yes, so exciting to watch things grow especially when started from seeds. Looking forward to reading about your garden and its progress. We are still experiencing night time temp in the 40's so I must hold off putting many of my seedlings in the ground until end of month or early June.
Choc Chip Uru
My mum is always telling me to eat more lentils, but I absolutely detest them! Except in interesting dishes like this, they look like the perfect match of potatoes 😀
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
Debra
Hope you had a great time in Tahoe and I love this twist on a BBQ side staple.
Terra
This looks hearty and delicious, and so full of happy nutrients. I agree, I am ready for all the grilling love too. Hubby and I look forward to grilling something different every weekend. Yum, Hugs, Terra