Kale Salad with Lentils

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This cozy kale salad with lentils, barley, and a maple-tahini dressing makes a protein-packed vegetarian main dish perfect for fall or meal prep. You can easily swap out the toppings as needed to fit the season and your preferences.

a plate of salad made with kale, lentils, barely, and eggs with dressing

I always grow kale in my garden, but in reality, I hardly pick and eat it. To be honest, I don't always even like it. It's one of the most basic rules of having a garden - grow foods you'll actually use and eat. So, I'm trying, and this salad gives me reason to do both.

This kale and Swiss chard galette is another worthy reason.

A good salad should offer a mix of flavors and textures. In this case, chewy kale leaves provide a solid base for hearty toppings, such as lentils and barley. This makes it substantial enough to be a meal on its own, while extras like sunflower seeds, cheddar, and a maple tahini dressing bring brightness, crunch, and just the right touch of sweetness.

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😍 Why You'll Love this Lentil Kale Salad
🥬 Ingredients
🧀 Substitutions & Variations
🔪 Instructions
✨ Helpful Tips
🥡 Make ahead and storage
🙋🏻‍♂️ FAQ
🍞 Pairing
📖 Recipe
🥗 Related Recipes
💬 Comments

Whether you're working through your fall garden harvest or simply looking for a satisfying way to incorporate more greens into your diet, this kale and lentil salad hits the mark. It keeps well in the fridge, packs up nicely for lunch, and pairs easily with a warm bowl of soup or stew for dinner.

😍 Why You'll Love this Lentil Kale Salad

It's a hearty salad great for fall dinners. It's filling and satisfying when you need something to keep you full but not weigh you down.
It's vegetarian, yet packed with protein. It's full of protein, fiber, Vitamin A, and Vitamin C.
It makes a cozy meal that's great warm or cold. Serve while the lentils are barley are still warm or prep in advance and enjoy later.

I'm always up for a good salad meal. Side salads are fine, but they're often forgettable. Give me something with substance, like my Blackened Shrimp Salad with black beans and pickled onions, an Arugula and Spinach Salad with Chicken, or even a simple Egg Salad Sandwich with Dill Pickles. There are endless ways to make a salad feel hearty and satisfying. This is one of them.

🥬 Ingredients

Here's everything you need to make this lentil and kale salad.

Key Ingredients

Kale: You can use any kale variety in this salad, or even mix and match a couple of options for different colors and textures. Curly kale offers more crunch, while Tuscan or dinosaur kale (my favorite) is a bit more tender with bumpy leaves. I find some, like the Russian variety, a bit tough to eat raw in a salad. However, it is a matter of personal preference. Either way, the tougher ribs are removed, and the kale is massaged, which softens it without the need for cooking. Here's more info on the different types of kale.
Lentils: Standard brown or green lentils are great for protein and texture in this salad, especially because they cook in the same amount of time as the barley. Red or yellow lentils have different cooking times and turn out much softer, so they aren't the best choice here. If you're a lentil fan like me, check out my Lentil and Rice Soup.
Barley: Barley adds a nutty flavor and texture to the salad (not to mention more fiber) and helps make the salad more filling. I chose barley because it cooks in the pan along with the lentils, and the two pair well together.
Tahini: Tahini, made from ground sesame seeds, is used in the dressing and brings a pleasantly nutty flavor that helps tie the salad together.
Sunflower seeds: A quick toasting of the sunflower seeds brings out their flavor. They help add some crunch to finish off the salad.
Dried cranberries: I always like to add some dried fruit to my salads for a bit of sweetness. You can also use raisins, currants, or cherries.
Cherry tomatoes: Optional, but a nice addition when they're in season. They add a little more freshness to the salad, along with a sweet, tangy flavor.

Check out the recipe card below for the complete list of ingredients and quantities.

🧀 Substitutions & Variations

Make it vegan: Skip the cheese and eggs or use plant-based alternatives.
With winter squash: Roasted winter squash would be a great addition to the salad in fall and winter, especially if you already have some on hand. Use it in place of the cherry tomatoes.
Instead of tahini: Try almond butter thinned out with a little water until it's pourable.

🔪 Instructions

How to make this kale and lentil salad.

Step 1: Put the lentils and barley in a small pot and cover with plenty of water. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook until just tender, about 25 minutes.

Step 2: While the lentils and barley are cooking, rinse the kale and remove the tough middle stems.

kale leaves roughly chopped on cutting board with knife

Step 3: Give the kale a rough chop.

Step 4: In another small pan, cover the eggs with water, bring to a boil, then turn off the heat and cover the pan. Allow to sit for about 8 minutes, then drain and rinse in cold water to stop the cooking.

Step 5: In a large bowl, add the kale and lemon juice. Use your hands to massage the kale with the oil until the leaves have softened.

Step 6: Slice or chop the cooled hard-boiled eggs however you prefer. Halve the cherry tomatoes as well.

Step 7: Add the sunflower seeds to a pan and toast over low heat until lightly golden and fragrant.

cheddar cheese thinly sliced on a cutting board

Step 8: Thinly slice the cheese.

Step 9: Whisk together the tahini, lemon juice, olive oil, maple syrup, garlic, salt, pepper, and water, as needed.

Step 10: Add the kale to your plate, then top with the lentils and barley, eggs, tomatoes, sunflower seeds, and finally, the dressing.

✨ Helpful Tips

Keep an eye on the lentils and barley as they cook. If the liquid runs low and they're not done cooking, just add more as needed.
The dressing is on the thicker side, but you can thin it out with additional water or lemon juice if you'd like it thinner.

🥡 Make ahead and storage

You can prep all the ingredients up to four days in advance and store them separately. For the easiest serving, assemble the salad just before eating. If you want to prep the whole salad ahead of time, it will keep well for a day. Store the dressing separately and toss it before serving.

🙋🏻‍♂️ FAQ

What protein goes with kale salad?

Beans and pulses, such as lentils, are excellent vegetarian proteins that pair well with kale in salads. For non-vegetarian ideas, try chicken or shrimp.

Do you need to soak lentils?

No, there's no need to soak lentils before cooking. They're quick cooking and don't need soaking like dried beans. Soaking alone, however, is not a substitute for cooking lentils.

How can you make lentils more appealing?

On their own lentils don't have a ton of flavor. That's why they make a good addition as part of salads, soups, and sauce-based dishes where there are a mix of flavors and ingredients.