If you’re looking for a delicious salad packed with flavour and nutrition, this quinoa and lentil salad offers! It is the perfect blend of hearty lentils, fluffy quinoa and crunchy vegetables thrown into herbaceous garlic mustard lemon dressing. Like my popular Mediterranean buckwheat salad, this heartfelt, healthy salad is inspired by Mediterranean cuisine. This recipe features green lentils, fresh herbs and a vibrant, enthusiastic kick.
Want to save this recipe?
Enter your email and send it to your inbox. Plus, get some great new recipes from me every week!
This quinoa salad recipe not only explodes in flavor, but also is a great source of plant-based protein. It’s a gluten-free and healthy recipe you want to add to your diet rotation. Serve this cold salad as a side dish for a light lunch or a stuffed meal.
Jump:
Why I love this recipe
Fast and Easy Meal Prep: This 30-minute recipe is the perfect option for beginner chefs. Cooking quinoa and green lentils only takes about 15 minutes. The remaining ingredients are easy to prepare. And the hearty ingredients are kept in the fridge well. Nutritional: Delicious healthy foods are the best food! This recipe contains plant-based protein, complex carbohydrates, fiber and healthy fats. Versatility: Easily replace your favorite fresh vegetables, add cheese, or throw them into nuts.
Ingredient Notes
Quinoa: White quinoa is traditional in this recipe, but tricolor quinoa or red quinoa works just as well. Green lentils: They stay tight after cooking, making them perfect for cold salads. Red Onions: Red onions have a milder bite and yellow or white onions, but instead, shallots or green onions can be used. Cherry tomatoes: Cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes are your favorite of this salad, but if you have full-sized tomatoes on hand they work too. Chop them into bite-sized chunks. Kalamata Olives: I’ve always liked kalamata olives for Mediterranean salads, but I also use black olives and green olives. Cucumber: Light-skinned seedless varieties like Persian and British cucumbers are perfect. Artichoke Hearts: Artichoke Hearts is the sweet and soft center of Artichoke. It can be purchased at most grocery stores. Capers: Good in many Mediterranean dishes, small but powerful capers add a burst of refined, salty flavours. Fresh Parsley: Fresh Parsley add a bright green note to the salad. You can also use fresh basil or arugula. Feta Cheese: Creamy and salty feta is an option. You can omit it for a vegan salad or use a vegan feta topping. Extra Virgin Olive Oil: EVOO has a richer flavor, higher nutrient content and a better pair with fresher ingredients than lighter olive oil. Avocado oil is another great option. Lemon Juice and Lemon Peel: Lemon complements olives, artichokes and fresh herbs, giving you a classic, vibrant Mediterranean flavour. Especially in salads, I always use fresh lemons (which really lets me taste the difference). The lime juice and skin are also delicious! Garlic: Fresh garlic cloves are the best. The garlic I bought in the store is even bitter. However, you can use ½ tsp of garlic powder in a pinch. Oregano: Oregano is another classic ingredient in Mediterranean recipes. If you have it on hand, I like to use a tablespoon of chopped oregano instead of drying it. Dijon Mustard: I love the subtle heat of Dijon Mustard in this enthusiastic lemon dressing! It balances the richness of the extra virgin olive oil and adds a smooth, creamy texture to the dressing.
How to make quinoa and lentil salad
The amount of ingredients and complete instructions can be found on the printable recipe card at the end of this post.
Add the rinsed lentils and quinoa to a large pot with 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and then simmer for 15 minutes. Drain the lentils and quinoa using a fine mesh strainer and allow to cool. Cover and shake in a jar to combine the dressing ingredients. Toss the cooled lentils and quinoa into a large bowl with the remaining ingredients and dressing.
Useful Tips
Rinse the quinoa and lentils. Rinse removes bitterness from the quinoa, dust and debris from the raw lentils. Use canned lentils. Canned lentils are fine to use in this salad. They are already cooked, so cook the quinoa alone and add the lentils drained from the can. Replace water with stock. For extra flavor, cook quinoa and lentils in low sodic chicken or vegetable soup. Let the ingredients cool before mixing. Cooled quinoa and lentils prevent the salad from becoming a wetland and help the flavors blend better. Prepare the salad dressing in advance. This will develop the flavor of the dressing ingredients, making the salad even tastier. Add balsamic vinegar. Turn your dressing into avid lemon vinaigrette for even greater flavor. Customize it. Add feta or goat cheese, roasted red chili peppers, sunflower seeds, or pine nuts. You can also trade artichoke hearts for roasted Brussels sprouts and use sun-dried tomatoes instead of fresh cherry tomatoes. Alternatively, try red peppers, finely carrots, spinach, roasted sweet potatoes, chickpeas, avocados, dried cranberries or raisins. Storage. The remaining salad can be stored in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Avoid freezing. The quinoa recipe is fresh as the texture of the quinoa and vegetables changes when frozen.
FAQ
Choose lentils that retain their shape well after cooking. Green lentils and French green lentils are the best. Brown lentils are fine, but they have a slightly softer texture. Avoid yellow or red lentils. This is too fast and is suitable for soups and stews. Black lentils, on the other hand, are too hard and take 5-10 extra minutes to cook until they’re tender.
I like white quinoa. However, Tri-Color quinoa, a mixture of white, red and black quinoa, adds more texture, color and nutty flavor.
Have you made this recipe? Leave a rating in the comments below and let me know what that turned out. Have you made any changes? We hope you share and your feedback is important! Thank you for visiting our food blog!
Recipes
Want to save this recipe?
Enter your email and send it to your inbox. Plus, get some great new recipes from me every week!
Quinoa and lentil salad
The Quinoa and Lentil Salad is a delicious blend of hearty lentils, fluffy quinoa and crunchy vegetables thrown into herbaceous garlic mustard lemon dressing. It’s easy to make and is perfect for meal preparation and super nutritiousness.
printing
pin
rate
Save the recipe The recipe has been saved!
Cook ModePrevents the screen from getting dark
Serving: 6 Serving
calorie: 238kcal
Instructions
Rinse the lentils and quinoa. Add them to a large pot with 2 glasses of water.
Bring to a boil over medium high heat, then lower the heat and simmer until the lentils are tender, about 15 minutes.
Remove the quinoa and lentils using a fine mesh sieve and allow to cool.
Make a dressing while the quinoa and lentils are cool. In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice and rind, garlic, Dijon mustard, oregano, salt and pepper. Alternatively, use a jar with a lid and shake the dressing ingredients together.
Add the cooled quinoa and lentils to a large bowl. Add tomatoes, olives, cucumbers, artichoke hearts, capers, parsley and feta (if used). Drizzle with dressing and gently toss and mix.
Serve the salad immediately or chill in the fridge for an hour.
Note
Rinse the quinoa and lentils. Rinse removes bitterness from the quinoa, dust and debris from the raw lentils.
Use canned lentils. Canned lentils are fine to use in this salad. They are already cooked, so cook the quinoa alone and add the lentils drained from the can.
Replace the water with stock. For extra flavor, cook quinoa and lentils in low sodic chicken or vegetable soup.
Let the ingredients cool before mixing. Cooled quinoa and lentils prevent the salad from becoming a wetland and help the flavors blend better.
Prepare the salad dressing in advance. This will develop the flavor of the dressing ingredients, making the salad even tastier.
Add balsamic vinegar. Turn your dressing into avid lemon vinaigrette for even greater flavor.
Customize it. Add feta or goat cheese, roasted red chili peppers, sunflower seeds, or pine nuts. You can also trade artichoke hearts for roasted Brussels sprouts and use sun-dried tomatoes instead of fresh cherry tomatoes.
Storage. The remaining quinoa salad can be stored in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Store excess dressing individually and mix before serving to keep the salad fresh.
Avoid freezing. The quinoa recipe is fresh as the texture of the quinoa and vegetables changes when frozen.
nutrition
Serving: 1Serving | calorie: 238kcal | carbohydrates: 16g | protein: 7g | fat: 17g | Saturated fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated fat: 1g | January Saturated Fat: 10g | cholesterol: 11mg | sodium: 764mg | potassium: 289mg | fiber: 7g | sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 476iu | Vitamin C: 12mg | calcium: 110mg | iron: 2mg
