Quinoa and Lentil Salad with Mint
This quinoa and lentil salad with mint is bright, flavorful and easy to make. It's full of plant-based protein and all gets tossed in a zesty lemon vinaigrette. You only need 30 minutes and a few simple ingredients to make this delicious salad.
Ingredients
For the Lentils
- 1 cup French green lentils
- 1 bayleaf (optional)
- 1 clove garlic (optional)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 3 cups water
For the Quinoa
- ½ cup quinoa
- 1 cup water (or vegetable broth)
Salad Ingredients
- 4 Persian cucumbers diced
- ½ cup red onion diced
- ½ cup feta cheese
- ⅓ cup fresh mint leaves roughly chopped
For the Zesty Lemon Dressing
- 2 lemons zested and juiced use medium sized lemons
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard (start with 1 teaspoon and add more if desired)
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Add 1 cup of lentils, 3 cups of water, the bayleaf and a clove of garlic to a saucepan.
- Bring the lentils to a boil, cover with a lid and reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 25 minutes until lentils are tender. Drain any excess liquid. Set aside.
- Add 1 cup of water and ½ cup of quinoa to a saucepan while the lentils are cooking. Bring the quinoa to a boil, cover with a lid and reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 15 minutes or until the liquid has been absorbed. Turn off the heat and set aside to cool for a few minutes.
- Make the lemon dressing. Mix together the zest and juice of 2 lemons, minced garlic, dijon mustard, maple syrup, ¼ teaspoon salt, olive oil and pepper.
- Add the cooked lentils, cooked quinoa, cucumber, red onion, feta cheese, mint and lemon dressing to a large mixing bowl. Mix together until combined.
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Notes
- You can use 2 (15 oz) cans of lentils in place of dry lentils to reduce overall cooking time.
- Feel free to add in extra veggies such as tomatoes, olives, or snap peas!
- Omit the cheese to make this vegan, or try using vegan feta.
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