Gluten-Free Lentil Tabouli

Here is my favorite lentil tabouli recipe, with hearty brown lentils cooked in vegetable stock, tons of fresh herbs, crunchy cucumber and tomatoes, and a bright lemon dressing.

This lentil tabouli is a great twist on the classic Middle Eastern salad. I love making it for potlucks and picnics because it’s filling, refreshing, and holds up well in the fridge. Plus, the lentils add protein and make it more of a complete meal than traditional tabouli.

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What Kind of Lentils Should I Use?

For tabouli, green lentils (also called French lentils or lentilles du Puy) are your best bet because they hold their shape well after cooking and have a nice firm texture. You can find them at most grocery stores, usually in the dried beans and legumes section. If you can’t track down green lentils, brown lentils will work in a pinch, though they tend to get a bit softer and may break apart more easily. Whatever you do, skip the red or yellow lentils for this recipe – they cook down into mush and won’t give you the texture you’re looking for in a salad like this.

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Options for Substitutions

This tabouli is pretty forgiving when it comes to swaps, so here are some options if you need them:

• Green lentils: You can use brown lentils instead of green – they’ll work just fine. However, skip red or yellow lentils as they get too mushy and won’t hold their shape in this salad.
• Vegetable stock: Plain water works perfectly well here. If you want extra flavor, chicken stock is also fine if you’re not keeping it vegetarian.
• Fresh lemon juice: Bottled lemon juice can work in a pinch, though fresh tastes better. You could also use lime juice for a slightly different citrus twist.
• Parsley: Parsley is pretty essential to tabouli’s flavor, so try not to skip it. If you absolutely must, you could use cilantro, but know that it’ll taste quite different from traditional tabouli.
• Mint: While mint adds a nice fresh note, it’s already listed as optional. Feel free to leave it out or add more parsley instead.
• Cucumber: Any cucumber variety works – English, Persian, or regular garden cucumbers are all good choices. Just remove the seeds if using a regular cucumber with large seeds.

Watch Out for These Mistakes While Cooking

The biggest mistake when making lentil tabouli is overcooking the lentils – they should be tender but still hold their shape, not mushy, so start checking them at 15 minutes and drain them immediately when they’re done.

Skipping the step of mixing the onion with lemon juice first is another common error, as letting them sit together for a few minutes mellows the raw onion flavor and makes the whole salad taste better.

Don’t forget to remove as much liquid as possible from your chopped tomatoes and cucumber, since excess moisture will make your tabouli watery and dilute all the flavors – a quick pat with paper towels does the trick.

For the best taste, let the finished salad sit in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before serving, which gives all the flavors time to blend together.

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What to Serve With Lentil Tabouli?

Lentil tabouli is perfect as a side dish for grilled chicken, lamb kebabs, or falafel if you’re going for a full Mediterranean spread. I love serving it alongside some warm pita bread and hummus for a light lunch, or you can stuff it into pita pockets with some crumbled feta cheese and extra cucumbers. It also pairs really well with grilled fish like salmon or white fish, since the bright lemon and herbs complement seafood nicely. For a simple weeknight meal, just add some grilled halloumi cheese on top and call it dinner.

Storage Instructions

Store: Keep your lentil tabouli in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. The flavors actually get better as it sits, so it’s perfect for making ahead for lunches throughout the week. Just give it a good stir before serving since the dressing might settle at the bottom.

Make Ahead: This salad is ideal for meal prep! You can cook the lentils up to 2 days in advance and store them separately. When you’re ready to assemble, just chop your veggies and herbs fresh, then mix everything together. The tabouli tastes best when it’s had at least 30 minutes to chill and let all those flavors mingle.

Serve: Lentil tabouli is meant to be enjoyed cold or at room temperature, so there’s no need to reheat. If it seems a bit dry after storing, just drizzle a little extra olive oil and lemon juice over it and toss well before serving.

Estimated Nutrition

Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):

• Calories: 550-650
• Protein: 18-22 g
• Fat: 15-20 g
• Carbohydrates: 85-95 g

Ingredients

For the lentils:

• 1 cup dry brown lentils
• 1 3/4 cups vegetable stock
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

For the salad:

• 1/2 red onion (finely diced)
• 1 1/2 lemons (juiced and zested)
• 2 medium tomatoes (seeded and diced)
• 1 English cucumber (seeded and diced)
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 1/2 cups fresh parsley (finely chopped)
• 1/3 cup fresh mint (finely chopped)
• 1 clove garlic (minced)
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Step 1: Prepare the Mise en Place

• 1/2 red onion, finely diced
• 1 1/2 lemons, juiced and zested
• 2 medium tomatoes, seeded and diced
• 1 English cucumber, seeded and diced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 cups fresh parsley, finely chopped
• 1/3 cup fresh mint, finely chopped

While the lentils cook, prepare all your vegetables and herbs to streamline assembly.

Finely dice the red onion and place it in a large mixing bowl.

Juice and zest the lemons, keeping them separate.

Seed and dice the tomatoes, letting them drain in a colander to remove excess moisture—this prevents a watery salad.

Seed and dice the cucumber.

Mince the garlic.

Finely chop the fresh parsley and mint, keeping them separate so the mint’s delicate flavor doesn’t get lost.

Having everything prepped means you can assemble the tabouli quickly once the lentils are ready.

Step 2: Cook the Lentils

• 1 cup dry brown lentils
• 1 3/4 cups vegetable stock
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Rinse the brown lentils under cold water and add them to a pot with the vegetable stock and 1/2 teaspoon salt.

Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes until the lentils are tender but still hold their shape—they should not be mushy.

Drain any excess liquid and transfer to a bowl to cool to room temperature.

I prefer to let them cool naturally for about 10 minutes rather than running them under cold water, as this helps them absorb the dressing better.

Step 3: Build the Dressing Base

• diced red onion from Step 1
• lemon juice from Step 1
• minced garlic from Step 1

In the bowl with the diced red onion, add the lemon juice and minced garlic.

Let this mixture sit for 2-3 minutes—the acidity in the lemon juice will soften and slightly pickle the onion, mellowing its sharpness while infusing the dressing with flavor.

This simple step makes a big difference in the final taste of the salad.

Step 4: Combine and Season the Salad

• cooled lentils from Step 2
• onion and lemon mixture from Step 3
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• diced tomatoes from Step 1
• diced cucumber from Step 1
• fresh parsley from Step 1
• fresh mint from Step 1
• lemon zest from Step 1
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Add the cooled lentils from Step 2 to the onion and lemon mixture.

Pour in the extra virgin olive oil and add the ground cumin, stirring gently to combine.

Now fold in the diced tomatoes, cucumber, parsley, and mint, along with the lemon zest.

Season with the 1/2 teaspoon sea salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, tasting as you go and adjusting to your preference.

The tabouli can be served immediately at room temperature or chilled for a few hours—both work beautifully, though I find it develops more complex flavors after resting for at least 30 minutes.

Gluten-Free Lentil Tabouli

Delicious Gluten-Free Lentil Tabouli recipe with step-by-step instructions.

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Total Time 42 minutes mins

Servings 6 servings

Calories 600 kcal

Ingredients

  

For the lentils

• 1 cup dry brown lentils
• 1 3/4 cups vegetable stock
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

For the salad

• 1/2 red onion (finely diced)
• 1 1/2 lemons (juiced and zested)
• 2 medium tomatoes (seeded and diced)
• 1 English cucumber (seeded and diced)
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 1/2 cups fresh parsley (finely chopped)
• 1/3 cup fresh mint (finely chopped)
• 1 clove garlic (minced)
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

 

• While the lentils cook, prepare all your vegetables and herbs to streamline assembly. Finely dice the red onion and place it in a large mixing bowl. Juice and zest the lemons, keeping them separate. Seed and dice the tomatoes, letting them drain in a colander to remove excess moisture—this prevents a watery salad. Seed and dice the cucumber. Mince the garlic. Finely chop the fresh parsley and mint, keeping them separate so the mint's delicate flavor doesn't get lost. Having everything prepped means you can assemble the tabouli quickly once the lentils are ready.
• Rinse the brown lentils under cold water and add them to a pot with the vegetable stock and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes until the lentils are tender but still hold their shape—they should not be mushy. Drain any excess liquid and transfer to a bowl to cool to room temperature. I prefer to let them cool naturally for about 10 minutes rather than running them under cold water, as this helps them absorb the dressing better.
• In the bowl with the diced red onion, add the lemon juice and minced garlic. Let this mixture sit for 2-3 minutes—the acidity in the lemon juice will soften and slightly pickle the onion, mellowing its sharpness while infusing the dressing with flavor. This simple step makes a big difference in the final taste of the salad.
• Add the cooled lentils from Step 2 to the onion and lemon mixture. Pour in the extra virgin olive oil and add the ground cumin, stirring gently to combine. Now fold in the diced tomatoes, cucumber, parsley, and mint, along with the lemon zest. Season with the 1/2 teaspoon sea salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, tasting as you go and adjusting to your preference. The tabouli can be served immediately at room temperature or chilled for a few hours—both work beautifully, though I find it develops more complex flavors after resting for at least 30 minutes.