Quinoa and Lentil Salad

This quinoa and lentil salad is packed full of good things, delicious, easy to make and incredibly versatile too. It works well as a dish on its own right, as a side dish (especially for barbecues!) or topped with some grilled vegetables, meat or halloumi.

This recipe includes quinoa, which I’m a big fan of, cucumber to give it a burst of freshness and feta to give it a beautiful savoury edge.

This will easily serve 4, can be made in 20 minutes and is perfect cold or warm – though personally I prefer it warm.

Ingredients, Substitutions and Variations

• Quinoa – quinoa is really easy to cook from scratch so you don’t need to spend money on the ready cooked pouches unless you’re really pressed for time. Dried quinoa works best here.
• Green lentils – I love the mix of green lentils and quinoa. The lentils add a softness to the salad. However, you can just use quinoa if you wish. I used dried lentils – as above, they’re really easy to cook.
• Tarragon – mint also works really nicely.
• Spring onions and cucumber – these green vegetables add freshness to this salad.
• Feta – this recipe uses a fair amount of feta, and it adds delicious flavour and creaminess.
• Orange and white wine vinegar– these make the moreish dressing for the salad. The orange brings its sweet citrus and the white wine vinegar brings sharpness.

Change it up – try these tips:

• If you like, you can rinse quinoa thoroughly to remove its natural coating (saponin), which can create a bitter taste
• Try toasting quinoa lightly before cooking to enhance its nutty flavour
• Up the flavour by using vegetable broth instead of water when cooking quinoa and lentils
• Allow grains to cool slightly before mixing with fresh vegetables to maintain their texture
• Keep an eye on your lentils – you may need to add a splash more water as it cooks. Make sure it doesn’t all absorb, causing the lentils to stick to the bottom.
• Quinoa germinates as it cooks – so you’ll know when it’s done when it’s all puffed up.
• This can be stored in the fridge for 4-5 days – perfect for batch cooking for lunches!

Quinoa and Lentil Salad

Harriet Young

May 30, 2024

A fresh and delicious quinoa and lentil salad with cucumber, feta and tarragon.

5

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Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

Course Salad

Cuisine Mediterranean

Servings 4 People

Calories 525 kcal

Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

 

1x2x3x

• 300 g quinoa
• 100 g green lentils
• 1 handful chopped fresh tarragon
• 6 spring onions
• ½ cucumber
• 200 g feta
• 1 orange
• 2 tbsps white wine vinegar

Instructions

 

• Put the green lentils and 300ml cold water into a saucepan. Put on a medium heat and bring to the boil. Cook for 20-25 minutes until soft.
• Add the quinoa and 600ml water to another saucepan. Bring to the boil, then simmer until the quinoa is tender and the water has been absorbed (about 20 minutes).
• Chop the spring onions, tarragon, cucumber and feta into small chunks and add to a large serving bowl. Tip in the lentils and quinoa.
• Add the zest and juice of the orange and the white wine vinegar. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Stir well, and it’s ready to serve!

Nutrition

Calories: 525kcalCarbohydrates: 71gProtein: 25gFat: 16gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 45mgSodium: 580mgPotassium: 862mgFiber: 14gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 522IUVitamin C: 23mgCalcium: 330mgIron: 6mg

Keyword cucumber, feta, lentils, quinoa

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• Warm Beef and Lentil Salad
• Sweetcorn and Black Bean Salad
• Pomegranate, Feta and Chickpea Salad
• Avocado, Bacon and Dolcelatte Salad
• Quinoa, Feta and Roasted Pepper Salad
• Asparagus and Green Bean Caesar Salad