Quinoa salad with lentils and tomatoes
Quinoa salad with lentils and tomatoes- a simple salad loaded with delicious ingredients and textures. It's a great option to pack for lunch, picnic, and potlucks. This protein-rich salad is vegan and gluten-free.
Servings 5
Calories 253kcal
Equipment
- 1 Cooking pot
Ingredients
- ½ cup uncooked quinoa
- 1 cup water to cook quinoa
- 1 cup cooked green lentils
- 1 small bell pepper chopped
- 1 medium-sized cucumber chopped
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes halved or quartered
- ¼ cup roughly chopped cilantro
- ¼ cup roughly chopped scallion
- 2 tablespoons pumpkin seeds
Ingredients for the dressing
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 2 teaspoons maple syrup adjust to taste
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice adjust to taste
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic adjust to taste
- 1 teaspoon chili flakes
- Ground black pepper to taste
- Salt to taste
Instructions
Cook quinoa
- Rinse quinoa and put it in a cooking pot along with water.
- Cook uncovered for around 15-20 minutes or until all the water gets absorbed.
- Switch off the stove and cover the pot with a lid. Don't remove the lid for at least 5 minutes.
- After 5 minutes, remove the lid and fluff quinoa with a fork.
Prepare salad dressing
- Put all the dressing ingredients in a bowl and mix well.
Make salad
- Put all the ingredients in a large bowl.
- Pour salad dressing.
- Toss.
- Check and adjust the seasoning. Enjoy your refreshing quinoa lentil salad.
Video
Notes
- Season quinoa properly otherwise it will taste bland.
- Before rinsing lentils, always check them to make sure there is no debris.
- Allow the quinoa and lentils to cool completely before mixing to keep the vegetables crisp.
- Use freshly squeezed lemon juice for the best flavor.
- You may add dried fruits like raisins, cranberries, or toasted nuts to this quinoa salad.
- Instead of cooking quinoa in water, it can be cooked in vegetable stock too. It will make the salad more flavorful.
- Chill the salad for 30 minutes before serving to allow the flavors to blend.
- More recipe tips, tricks, and variation suggestions are shared in the post above, please follow them to make this recipe.
Nutrition
Calories: 253kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 1g | Sodium: 33mg | Potassium: 591mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 1028IU | Vitamin C: 39mg | Calcium: 48mg | Iron: 4mg