Grilled Romaine Salad with Lentils + Olive Salsa

This grilled romaine salad is the perfect twist on a traditional salad with a burst of protein from the lentils, and flavor from the olive salsa that you are going to be obsessed with. This recipe is quick to make and is a great recipe to have on hand for an easy lunch, or weeknight meal/side dish. Let me know what you think if you give this bad boy a try. 

Why you’ll love this grilled romaine salad: 

• Quick and Easy Weeknight Meal: Perfect for whipping up as a weeknight meal, or an easy lunch
• Packed with Flavor: This olive salsa will add the blast of flavor you need in your life. It’s so good
• Vegan-Friendly: This recipe is vegan-friendly but your other family members will still love it 
• Versatile: Use what’s on hand in your fridge. This recipe is great for using up veggies before they go bad 

Ingredients:

Here are the key ingredients you’ll need to make this Grilled Romaine Salad with Lentils and Olive Salsa:

Ingredient Notes: 

• Lettuce: I highly recommend using lettuce for this recipe as its crispiness and freshness adds to the overall final dish.  If you do not have lettuce on hand, use grilled cabbage
• Lentils: If you do not have lentils on hand or don’t like lentils then use Chickpeas, White Beans, or any other legumes you enjoy.  Please note this will change the dietary information below
• Mint: Mint is used in the salsa but has fun with this! Use basil, cilantro, parsley! A leafier herb will replace mint the best but you can certainly add additional herbs like oregano, thyme
• Olives: If you aren’t a fan of olives, or don’t have them on hand use artichokes or another marinates Mediterranean canned food.  Sundried tomatoes or charbroiled red peppers would be lovely as well
• Oil: Olive oil is going to be the best oil for the salad and salsa but if you prefer not to grill with it then use avocado oil or any unflavored oil
• Vinegar: You can use apple cider vinegar, red wine vinegar, or lemon if you do not have white vinegar
• Vegetables: Have fun with the vegetables in the salad. Make it your own, inspire yourself
• Feta: If you do not have access to vegan feta and are not vegan then use regular feta. You could also make a Tofu Feta or goat’s cheese etc. What the feta does is cut through some of the acidity of the dish and compliments it well with its creaminess and tart flavor

How to make grilled romaine salad: 

For the Lentil Salad: Add all the ingredients into one medium-sized bowl and stir to combine.

For the Olive Salsa: Add all the ingredients into one medium-sized bowl and stir to combine.

Brush your romaine halves with a little bit of olive oil and dust with some salt and pepper.  Cook the lettuce cut side down on a hot skillet for around 2 minutes or until charred.

To plate, begin by adding the lettuce cut side up, topping with the lentil salad, then olive salsa, and crumble on a generous amount of vegan feta!

FAQ:

How do I get perfectly charred lettuce? Dry the lettuce completely after rinsing/cutting. This will allow for the best char while maintaining the integrity of the lettuce. We don’t want soggy lettuce for this recipe

How do I store leftovers? Store any lentil salad or olive salsa in separate tight sealed containers in the fridge for up to 5 days

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Should I rinse my lentils? Lentils can make you bloat, and make you gassy. To help with this, soak them for 15-30 minutes before cooking to help make them easier to digest

Tried this recipe? Please leave a rating and review below in the comments section. I would love to know what you think!

Other recipes you’ll love: 

• Garlic Confit
• Easy Vegan Deviled Potatoes
• Plant-Based Crispy Roasted Potatoes
• Vegan Cranberry Cheese Tarts
• Quinoa Spinach Patties

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Grilled Romaine Salad with Lentils + Olive Salsa

5 from 2 votes

This easy-to-make grilled romaine salad recipe is topped with lentils and a flavorful olive salsa. A great quick lunch or meal.

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 5 minutes mins

Total Time 25 minutes mins

Course Vegan Meals

Cuisine Mediterranean-Inspired

Servings 4 -6

Calories 286 kcal

Ingredients

  

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• 2 large heads of romaine lettuce cut into halves (4 pieces)
• 1 tbsp. olive oil

For the Lentil Salad:

• 1 400 mL can of lentils
• 1 medium-sized cucumber chopped
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 tbsp. white vinegar
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper

For the Olive Salsa:

• 1 cup olives finely chopped, black or green will work great, pitted
• 1/4 cup red onion finely chopped
• 1/4 cup cherry tomatoes finely chopped
• 1/4 cup fresh mint finely chopped
• 2 tbsp. capers optional
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 2 tbsp. white vinegar
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper

Toppings: 

• 1/4 cup vegan feta
•  

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Instructions

 

• For the Lentil Salad: Add all the ingredients into one medium-sized bowl and stir to combine.
• For the Olive Salsa: Add all the ingredients into one medium-sized bowl and stir to combine.
• Brush your romaine halves with a little bit of olive oil and dust with some salt and pepper.  Cook the lettuce cut side down on a hot skillet for around 2 minutes or until charred.
• To plate, begin by adding the lettuce cut side up, topping with the lentil salad, then olive salsa, and crumble on a generous amount of vegan feta!
• Enjoy!

Notes

Lentils: If you do not have lentils on hand or don't like lentils then use Chickpeas, White Beans, or any other legumes you enjoy.  Please note this will change the dietary information below.

Vinegar: You can use apple cider vinegar, red wine vinegar, or lemon if you do not have white vinegar.

Vegetables: Have fun with the vegetables in the salad.  Make it your own, inspire yourself!

Nutrition

Serving: 6 | Calories: 286kcal | Carbohydrates: 37.3g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 10.1g | Saturated Fat: 1.5g | Sodium: 468.1mg | Fiber: 6.7g | Sugar: 2.6g

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