This Brown Lentil and Yellow Split Pea salad with Italian dressing is a delicious and nutritious option for a satisfying lunch. It has the perfect ratio of chewy and crunch, and is bright and zingy. Packed with protein and fiber, it's a great choice for a wholesome meal that will keep you feeling full and energized throughout the day.
The zesty Italian dressing is easily customizable and you can use it in tons of ways—this is merely one suggestion. It is a wonderful cross between a chopped salad and pasta salad, with the added perks of being vegan and gluten-free!
We love that this dish uses yellow split peas, a commodity many folks aren't used to using in the kitchen. This legume brings a lot to the mix: it adds a nice punch of color and tons of nutrition. The Italian Lentil & Split Pea Salad offers complete proteins and complex carbohydrates, and is excellent warm or chilled.
Cooking Tip: Chop your vegetables while your lentils and peas are cooking you can cut the preparation time in half. Remember to cook the legumes separately as they have different cooking times and nothing ruins a salad like overcooked pulses!
In separate medium saucepans, cover lentils and peas with water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer, cover and cook until tender. For the lentils this will be about 10-15 minutes; and for the peas about 20-30 minutes.
Drain the legumes before transferring to a large bowl. Toss with olive oil.
In a steeply-sided bowl, jar, or pitcher, combine all ingredients for dressing and mix well. Continue to stir while pouring over salad, in the next step.
Add remaining salad ingredients to the legumes (except fresh herb garnish, if using) and mix well. Top with dressing and toss to disperse all throughout the salad. Serve immediately for a warm dish, or refrigerate 4+ hours for a chilled side. Top with basil or parsley immediately prior to serving.
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Gailon
This recipe sounds amazing! I’m gonna make it soon! Thanks Palouse Brand, my go to for local garbanzo, split pea, and wheat berries! Your awesome in my book.
Lindaon
I just made this Italian Lentil and Pea Salad, and while I have put it into the refrigerator to chill for tonight’s dinner, my husband and I took a big bite (just to check 🙃). Amazing!! It is so good! The flavors are just right together and the homemade dressing really pulls it all together. The dill and seasoned salt are really nice additions. I would never had thought of adding them, so following the recipe is part of the charm of this dish! Speaking of that, though, I had basmati rice and not instant rice, so I cooked 1 cup of rice with 2 cups of water. Stirred that in when I mixed all the other lentils/peas. This is a great recipe and I would definitely serve this to a large group or at home to guests (and tonight if we can wait!). Thanks for the recipe!
The zesty Italian dressing is easily customizable and you can use it in tons of ways—this is merely one suggestion. It is a wonderful cross between a chopped salad and pasta salad, with the added perks of being vegan and gluten-free!
Gail on
This recipe sounds amazing! I’m gonna make it soon! Thanks Palouse Brand, my go to for local garbanzo, split pea, and wheat berries! Your awesome in my book.
Linda on
I just made this Italian Lentil and Pea Salad, and while I have put it into the refrigerator to chill for tonight’s dinner, my husband and I took a big bite (just to check 🙃). Amazing!! It is so good! The flavors are just right together and the homemade dressing really pulls it all together. The dill and seasoned salt are really nice additions. I would never had thought of adding them, so following the recipe is part of the charm of this dish! Speaking of that, though, I had basmati rice and not instant rice, so I cooked 1 cup of rice with 2 cups of water. Stirred that in when I mixed all the other lentils/peas. This is a great recipe and I would definitely serve this to a large group or at home to guests (and tonight if we can wait!). Thanks for the recipe!