Tomato-Lentil Salad With Spicy Tahini

By Ali Slagle

Published July 20, 2026

  • Armando Rafael for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
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Ready In
25 min
Rating
5(623)
Comments
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This satisfying, sweet and spicy tomato salad is vegan, no-cook and rich in fiber and protein to boot. Tomato chunks and cooked lentils marinate in lemon juice, olive oil and salt, which seasons the lentils and concentrates the tomato flavor. A heap of sweet basil is stirred in — think of it as the salad’s leafy green — and a swirl of two-ingredient tahini-chile sauce adds pockets of heat, nuttiness and creaminess. Feel free to expand the salad (feta, cucumbers and sliced toasted almonds would all be welcome) or serve with grilled protein, salad greens, flatbread or toast. If you’re heat-averse, try this balsamic tahini sauce instead.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

  • 2 (15-ounce) cans lentils, drained, rinsed and shaken dry (or 3 cups cooked green or black lentils from 1 ½ cups dry lentils)

  • 1 ½ pounds ripe tomatoes (or 2 pints cherry tomatoes), cut into bite-size pieces

  • ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

  • Juice of 1 lemon (about 3 tablespoons)

  • Salt

  • ¼ cup stirred tahini

  • 1 tablespoon chile crisp, harissa or another chile paste, plus more to taste

  • 1 ½ loosely packed cups basil leaves, torn 

  • Toasted sesame seeds, for serving 

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (1 to 4 servings)

55 grams carbs; 515 calories; 14 grams monounsaturated fat; 6 grams polyunsaturated fat; 3 grams saturated fat; 25 grams fat; 21 grams fiber; 1005 milligrams sodium; 24 grams protein; 9 grams sugar

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

    In a large bowl, combine the lentils, tomatoes, oil, lemon juice and a big pinch of salt. Stir to combine. In a liquid measuring cup or small bowl, stir together the tahini and chili crisp. Add cold water until pourable, then taste and add more chile crisp and salt until the sauce is a little too spicy. (It will be tamed by the lentils.)

    1. Step 2

      Stir the basil gently into the salad. Serve the salad drizzled with the tahini sauce and showered with sesame seeds. Season to taste with salt.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
623 user ratings
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Comments

Randa Reiff Shea

What I love about Ali’s recipes besides their innate deliciousness is how she offers suggested variations - here like adding feta or toasted almonds. I also always scour the readers’ comments to see how they made the recipe with the ingredients that they had on hand. It helps me decide if I want to run out to the store for a missing ingredient or try to substitute what I have on hand. This particular recipe with a few add-one was a fab lunch on a hot day.

Marci B

I saw this & decided it would be a great way to use up tomatoes my neighbor grew & gave to us. Alas-I was missing lentils (used chickpeas), fresh basil (used fresh dill), and chili crisp/ harissa (used sriracha) and it was delicious. I added some grilled halloumi to up the protein. Look forward to trying as written next time!

KR

So good!! Ali’s recipes always slay! More like Ali Slay-gle

Rosalie

I made it as is. So easy as I had all the ingredients on hand. I try to make it at least once a week, filling. This one is a keeper.

Adam

We love this salad! Works great with any hard lentil. We tried a similar version of these in an Israeli restaurant, add cucumbers and Israeli feta!

Molly

Delicious flavor, but -- salt the tomatoes before they go in with the rest of the ingredients! Otherwise the salad can become soupy!

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