Quinoa and Lentil Salad

Quinoa and Lentil Salad is a delicious blend of hearty lentils, fluffy quinoa, and crunchy veggies tossed in a herbaceous garlic mustard lemon dressing. It's easy to make, perfect for meal prep and super nutritious.

Course Salad

Cuisine Mediterranean

Diet Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 15

Total Time 30

Servings servings

Calories 238kcal

Author Colleen Milne

Ingredients

Salad

1 cup uncooked quinoa
½ cup dry green lentils
1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
1 cup pitted kalamata olives
1 cup cucumber chunks
½ cup red onion diced
½ cup marinated artichoke hearts quartered
¼ cup capers
¼ cup fresh parsley chopped
½ cup crumbled feta cheese optional

Dressing

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
juice and zest of one lemon about ¼ cup of juice
2 garlic cloves minced
2 teaspoon dried oregano
2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
½ teaspoon salt
½ black pepper

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Rinse lentils and quinoa. Add them to a large pot with two cups of water.
Over medium-high heat, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for about 15 minutes, until lentils are just tender, but not mushy.
Drain quinoa and lentils in a fine mesh sieve and allow them to cool.
While the quinoa and lentils cool, make the dressing. In a small bowl whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice and zest, garlic, Dijon mustard, oregano, salt and pepper. Or use a jar with a lid to shake the dressing ingredients together.
Add the cooled quinoa and lentils to a large bowl. Add the tomatoes, olives, cucumber, artichoke hearts, capers, parsley, and feta (if using). Drizzle with the dressing and toss gently to combine.
Serve the salad immediately or chill in the fridge for an hour.

Notes

Rinse quinoa and lentils. Rinsing removes the bitterness from quinoa as well as any dust or debris from the raw lentils.

Use canned lentils. Canned lentils are fine to use for this salad. They are already cooked, so just cook the quinoa by itself and add the drained and rinsed lentils from the can.

Substitute the water with stock. For extra flavor, cook the quinoa and lentils in low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth.

Let the ingredients cool before mixing. Cooled quinoa and lentils prevent the salad from becoming soggy and help the flavors meld better.

Prepare the salad dressing in advance. This allows the flavors of the dressing ingredients to develop, making the salad even tastier.

Add balsamic vinegar. Turn the dressing into a zesty lemon vinaigrette for extra depth of flavor.

Customize it. Add feta or goat cheese, roasted red peppers, sunflower seeds, or pine nuts. You can also swap the artichoke hearts with roasted Brussels sprouts and use sun-dried tomatoes instead of fresh cherry tomatoes.

Storage. Leftover quinoa salad can be stored in an airtight container for up to four days. Store extra dressing separately and mix it in before serving to keep the salad fresh.

Avoid freezing. Quinoa recipes are best fresh since the textures of the quinoa and veggies change when frozen.

Nutrition