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Quinoa lentil salad with fresh herbed lemon vinaigrette is refreshing, bright in flavor and very easy to make.
Table of contents
Why Make Quinoa Lentil Salad
This is one of my favorite grain salads, it has a lot of texture from the lentils and quinoa. The herby lemon vinaigrette is bright, flavorful and light. The lentils and quinoa are cooked in flavorful broth and seasonings making it taste wonderfully. This salad is colorful, the perfect change up for the week. Serve this on it’s own or with chicken, fish or shrimp.
Ingredients Needed
Quinoa. I like to use tricolor quinoa or white quinoa for this salad. Make sure you rinse the quinoa and cook according to instructions.
Lentils. I used green lentils for this recipe. You can use any color of choice. Red would also work great. Lentils are a legume full of vitamin B, iron, magnesium and more They have a great texture.
Chicken Broth. I like to use a high quality, low sodium chicken broth. You can use beef broth as well.This is to flavor the salad though the cooking process.
Seasoning. Salt, pepper, garlic powder
Fresh Thyme. Fresh thyme will flavor the salad beautifully. This will go on once everything is dressed.
Red Onion. This adds a sharp flavor and a bright pop of color. You can also use green onions.
Feta. I use authentic sheep’s milk feta, this adds a great salty/tang to the salad. You can also use goat cheese or halloumi.
Avocado. Optional for topping.
Lemon Herb Vinaigrette
Olive Oil. A neutral flavored, high quality oil is best.
Lemon. You will need lemon zest and lemon juice.
Fresh Cilantro. This brightens up the dressing and adds some color, you can also use fresh parsley in addition or in place.
Garlic. This is to add aromatics to the dressing.
Dijon Mustard. I like to use whole grain dijon mustard.
Recipe Variations
Lentils. You can use any color of lentil for this recipe.
Quinoa. Use any color of quinoa.
Feta. Use goat cheese or vegan feta.
Mix Ins. In addition to feta, you can also add walnuts or pepita seeds. Chopped olives and chopped sun-dried tomatoes are also delicious in this. Another great add it is chopped soft dates (yum!)
Olive Oil. Avocado will also work well.
How To Make This Recipe
Step One. In a medium/large sauce pan (I used 4 qt) add the chicken broth, 1 cup of water, salt, pepper, garlic powder, lentils and quinoa. Bring to a light boil, reduce heat to a simmer and cook on a low simmer, covered for about 15-20 minutes or until the lentils and quinoa are al dente.
Step Two. While the lentils and quinoa are cooking, mix up the lemon herb vinaigrette.
Step Three. To make the lemon herb vinaigrette, add the oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, minced garlic, pinch of salt, pepper, cilantro, whole grain dijon mustard to a medium sized bowl. Whisk well, set aside.
Step Four. Add the quinoa mix to a large bowl, mix in red onions, feta, fresh thyme. Mix the dressing one last time to avoid anything settling at the bottom, pour over the salad and enjoy. Serve warm or chilled.
Tips & FAQ’s
Yes, this can be reheated, however the feta may melt a bit. It will still taste good, but you can also enjoy it cold.
Yes, make this salad vegan by using veggie broth and skipping the cheese.
Recipe Pairings
This recipe is great on it’s own but would pair wonderfully as a side dish to my Crispy Chicken Wrap or my Chicken Tenders.
Make Ahead & Storage Tips
This is a wonderful recipe to make ahead and enjoy later, it makes a perfect meal prep meal. Simply store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Be sure to mix well before serving, the dressing can settle a bit in the fridge.
Other Salads To Enjoy
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Quinoa Lentil Salad
Equipment
- 1 medium sauce pan
Ingredients
- 1 cup quinoa, uncooked
- 1 cup green lentils
- 2 cup low sodium chicken broth
- 1 cup water
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp pepper
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- ¼ cup red onion, chopped
- ½ cup feta, crumbled
- 1 tsp fresh thyme
- 1 sliced avocado , optional
Lemon Herb Vinaigrette
- 4-5 Tbsp lemon juice, *about 1 lemon, more if needed
- ½ cup olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- ¼ tsp pepper
- ¼ tsp salt
- 3 tsp whole grain dijon mustard
- 1 tsp fresh cilantro, chopped
Instructions
- In a medium/large sauce pan (I used 4 qt) add the chicken broth, 1 cup of water, salt, pepper, garlic powder, lentils and quinoa. Bring to a light boil, reduce heat to a simmer and cook on a low simmer, covered for about 15-20 minutes or until the lentils and quinoa are al dente.
- While the lentils and quinoa are cooking, mix up the lemon herb vinaigrette.
- To make the lemon herb vinaigrette, add the oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, minced garlic, pinch of salt, pepper, cilantro, whole grain dijon mustard to a medium sized bowl. Whisk well, set aside.
- Add the quinoa mix to a large bowl, mix in red onions, feta, fresh thyme. Mix the dressing one last time to avoid anything settling at the bottom, pour over the salad and enjoy. Serve warm or chilled.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Made this for Easter Sunday and it was a huge hit with the family!!!! it went perfectly with our roasted chicken. Can’t wait to make it again.
This is a perfect big batch lunch for the week, I’ve been doing it up with some goat cheese, cucumber and arugula and it is so good!
Love that you were adding arugula! I must try! Thank you so much for the feedback.
The best salad ever!! So good thank u!
That made me smile so happy to hear you loved it. Xoxo
This was delicious and very easy to put together. Thank you very much