Spiced Chickpea and Lentil Salad

By Hetty Lui McKinnon

Updated Sept. 30, 2025

Spiced Chickpea and Lentil Salad
Linda Xiao for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Monica Pierini. Prop Stylist: Sophia Eleni Pappas.
Total Time
50 minutes
Prep Time
15 minutes
Cook Time
35 minutes
Rating
5(172)
Comments
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This chickpea salad, adapted from my cookbook “Linger: Salads, Sweets and Stories to Savor” (Knopf, 2025), mirrors the humble ingredients but standout flavors of harira, a North African soup that is steeped in tradition. Like the hearty tomato and legume soup it derives from, this salad is made from simple ingredients but achieves great depth of flavor by roasting the onions, celery and tomatoes with spices. It’s delicious as soon as it’s prepared, but like so many salads, this one keeps well, as its flavors continue to deepen over time.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings (about 10 cups)
  • 1large yellow onion, cut into thin wedges
  • 3celery stalks, thinly sliced
  • 1pound tomatoes, cut into 1½-inch chunks
  • 4tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1tablespoon harissa paste
  • 2teaspoons ground cumin
  • 1teaspoon ground turmeric
  • Sea salt and black pepper
  • 2(15-ounce) cans chickpeas, rinsed
  • 1(15-ounce) can lentils, rinsed
  • Handful of chopped fresh parsley
  • Handful of chopped fresh cilantro
  • ¼cup lemon juice (from 1 to 2 lemons) 
  • ¼cup roughly chopped toasted pistachios
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

636 calories; 24 grams fat; 3 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 13 grams monounsaturated fat; 5 grams polyunsaturated fat; 83 grams carbohydrates; 26 grams dietary fiber; 17 grams sugars; 28 grams protein; 1269 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat the oven to 400 degrees.

  2. Step 2

    Place the onion, celery and tomatoes on a baking sheet. Drizzle with 2 to 3 tablespoons of the olive oil and scatter the harissa paste, cumin, turmeric, 1 teaspoon salt and a big pinch of pepper on top. Using a large spoon or your hands, toss to coat. Roast until the vegetables are tender and golden around the edges, 20 to 25 minutes.

  3. Step 3

    Remove from the oven and add the chickpeas and lentils to the baking sheet, along with most of the parsley and cilantro (reserve some to garnish). Add the lemon juice and toss well to coat. Taste and season with more salt and pepper if needed. Transfer to a serving bowl. (This salad can be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 5 days.)

  4. Step 4

    To serve, drizzle with the remaining olive oil and top with the remaining herbs and the pistachios.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
172 user ratings
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Comments

NYCChris

Great flavor. I simplified the process: Use one large bowl to first toss the veggies with oil and seasonings. I added a couple of peppers. Transfer veg to sheet pan and roast. Do not rinse the bowl. Put beans in the bowl; stir to coat the beans with the remnants of olive oil and seasonings that are clinging to the bowl. When veggies are done roasting, stir into the beans; stir in parsley & lemon juice.

Mendy

Trader Joes has prepared, vacuum-packed lentils in the refrigerated section. They keep for a very long time until they're opened and are perfect for this application.

Sharon

@Katie. I have never seen lentils in a can.!

Bringdata

Delicious. I made one swap to suit my own taste, 2 Tbsp tomato paste in place of one of the Tbsp of harissa. I'm eating it warmed up for dinner but it is very good right out of the fridge also. Didn't take too long to make even with cooking the lentils myself because my store didn't have canned.

Carol

Yum, yum, yum. I mixed the following together to use as a harissa substitute, per an AI suggestion: 1 Tbsp sambal oelek, 1/2 tsp each cumin and coriander, 1/4 tsp smoked paprika, 1/2 tsp tomato paste and 1 tsp olive oil. Delicious.

Ann Richards, Toronto

Delicious! a really flexible recipe and so good! I used cabbage instead of celery but would make it with whatever vegetables I had on hand.

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