This lentil and egg salad brings together tender lentils, cooked carrots, crunchy cucumber, red onion and fresh herbs. Its dressing starts with finely chopped hard-boiled eggs, whisked with lemon juice, strong mustard and olive oil. More egg quarters finish the bowl, making it a substantial salad for lunch or a simple evening meal.

This is the lentil salad from my three-salad video. The other two salads are separate recipes. Here, the chopped eggs are part of the dressing, so keep three eggs for that mixture and two more for the garnish. The quantities below standardize the video’s generous, mostly unmeasured additions into four lunch portions; they are not a claim that every spoonful was measured on camera.

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What makes this salad different

A usual vinaigrette coats the lentils with oil and acid. This version also contains chopped cooked eggs: the yolks blend into the mustard and oil, while little pieces of white remain visible. Whisking gives the dressing some body without using raw egg or adding prepared mayonnaise. A perfectly smooth sauce is unnecessary; the texture is part of the salad.

The vegetables balance that richness. Carrots are already cooked and cooled, so they stay tender. Cucumber brings a fresh crunch, while thin red onion slices add a sharper note. Parsley and chives go directly into the dressing before the vegetables and lentils. That order spreads the herbs through the whole bowl instead of leaving them only on top.

For another approach to dressing, see my classic vinaigrette or two-minute lemon vinaigrette. My honey Dijon vinaigrette offers a sweeter alternative for another salad, although this recipe keeps the lemon and strong mustard combination.

Choose lentils that hold their shape

Use cooked green or brown lentils that are tender but still distinct. Canned lentils make the preparation quick: rinse them, drain thoroughly and measure three cups after draining. Water left in the sieve dilutes the dressing and collects in the bottom of the serving bowl. Give the lentils a few minutes to drain while you prepare the vegetables.

If cooking dried lentils, follow the package instructions and taste near the end. Different varieties and ages take different amounts of time. Drain as soon as they are tender, spread them out to cool, and measure the cooked quantity required below. Split red lentils break down readily and do not give the same whole-lentil texture in this salad.

The quick preparation time assumes the lentils, carrots and eggs are already cooked and cold. Starting with dried lentils and raw eggs requires extra cooking and cooling time. You can prepare those components the day before, refrigerate them separately, and assemble the salad when needed. Do not rush by putting steaming lentils into the finished dressing.

Prepare the eggs and vegetables

You need five large hard-boiled eggs in total. Chop three for the dressing and reserve two for the topping. If starting with raw eggs, use your usual hard-boiling method, cook until the whites and yolks are firm, then cool and peel them. The recipe card’s zero cooking time refers to assembly with prepared ingredients, rather than the entire process from raw ingredients.

Slice the cooled cooked carrots into thin rounds or diagonal slices. Steam or simmer them beforehand until just tender, then cool them. They should hold their shape when folded into the salad. Very soft carrots break apart and colour the dressing; thick undercooked pieces make the salad harder to eat with a fork.

Cut the cucumber into bite-size chunks, keeping the skin if tender. If it has a large watery seed core, scoop that out first. Slice the red onion thinly. A small amount is enough to season the bowl; you can start with less, taste, then add the remainder. Chop the parsley and chives just before mixing for a fresh flavour.

Make the salad step by step

Step 1: Chop the eggs for the dressing

Use an egg slicer in two directions, as in the video, or a knife to finely chop three hard-boiled eggs. Put them in a large mixing bowl. Break up the larger yolk pieces with a whisk, but leave small bits of white. Choose a bowl with enough room for the vegetables and lentils, so you can fold the salad without scattering ingredients.

Step 2: Add lemon and mustard

Add one tablespoon lemon juice and one tablespoon strong Dijon mustard to the chopped eggs. Whisk until the yolks begin to combine with the mustard. Fresh lemon works well, but the important point is to add the acid gradually: you can adjust the balance after the lentils are mixed in.

Step 3: Whisk in the oil and herbs

Pour in one-quarter cup olive oil in a thin stream while whisking. The yolks help give the mixture a creamy appearance, although it stays textured. Add the remaining tablespoon lemon juice, a little salt and black pepper. Stir in one tablespoon each chopped parsley and chives. Taste a small spoonful; it should have enough lemon and mustard to season the plain lentils.

Step 4: Fold in the vegetables

Add one cup cooked carrot slices, one cup cucumber chunks and one-half cup thinly sliced red onion. Use a flexible spatula to coat them with the egg dressing. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl, then turn the vegetables over gently. This distributes the dressing before the heavier lentils are added.

Step 5: Add the lentils

Fold in three cups cooled, well-drained cooked lentils. Turn the mixture from the bottom rather than beating it with the whisk. Taste again now: the lentils absorb the dressing’s flavour, so the completed salad may need another pinch of salt, pepper or a little lemon. Add small amounts and mix before deciding it needs more.

Step 6: Transfer and garnish

Spoon the salad into a serving bowl and level the surface lightly. Cut the two reserved eggs into quarters and arrange the eight pieces on top. Serve immediately or refrigerate until serving. For individual lunch boxes, divide the lentil mixture into four containers and add two egg quarters to each.

Adjustments and substitutions

For a milder onion flavour, use less red onion or soak the thin slices briefly in cold water, then drain and dry them well. Extra water is the enemy of a well-coated salad. Small cucumbers with tender skin are convenient, but a larger cucumber works just as well once any watery seed core is removed.

Flat-leaf parsley and chives are the video’s herb combination. If you have only parsley, use two tablespoons and keep the rest of the recipe the same. Dill changes the flavour but can be a useful alternative. These are variations rather than the exact version shown in the video. The same distinction applies if you replace the carrots with another cooked vegetable.

For an egg-free salad, use an ordinary vinaigrette and omit the garnish. That produces a different dressing and a lighter bowl; simply removing the eggs from this recipe does not preserve its creamy texture. If you want a different pulse-based lunch, try my creamy chickpea salad on another day.

Frequently asked questions

Can I make this salad ahead?

Yes. Assemble with cold ingredients, cover and refrigerate promptly. For the best texture, serve the next day; the cucumber gradually releases liquid. Stir the lentil mixture gently before serving and add the egg garnish afterwards if you stored it separately. Keep the salad chilled when taking it to work or serving outdoors.

Does the dressing contain raw egg?

No. Both the three chopped eggs in the dressing and the two garnish eggs are hard-boiled. Whisking cooked yolks with oil and mustard creates body, but it does not require a raw yolk. This distinction also helps explain why the sauce has small visible egg pieces rather than a completely smooth mayonnaise texture.

Can I use canned lentils?

Yes. Measure the three cups after rinsing and draining, rather than relying on the can’s total weight including liquid. Check that the lentils are whole and tender. Taste before adding salt because canned products vary. You may need more than one can depending on its size and drained yield.

More salads for the lunch table

For other egg-based lunches, try my avocado and hard-boiled egg salad, tuna salad with eggs or Niçoise salad with seared tuna. Each has a different balance of vegetables and dressing, so choose the one that suits the ingredients you have.

My chicken salad with mustard dressing and cold cheese tortellini salad offer two more substantial options. For a smaller vegetable side, consider grated carrot salad or crunchy red endive salad. Browse my easy salad recipes for lunch, barbecues and light dinners for more ideas.