One of my favorite ingredients to use as a base in salads is quinoa. It not only soaks all the delicious flavors of the ingredients used but also gives a very nice chewy texture to the salads. I have already shared a lot of easy quinoa salad recipes on my blog and today I am sharing the recipe for another delicious quinoa salad with lentils and cherry tomatoes.
Ingredient notes and substitute suggestions
Lentils: I have used green lentils which I have cooked at home from scratch. You can also use brown lentils. If you don’t want to cook lentils at home, use canned lentils. However, rinse them before using to get rid of their metallic taste. Quinoa: Feel free to use any variety of your choice. I have used red quinoa. Cherry tomatoes: If you don’t have cherry tomatoes, use regular ones. Scallion: Spring onion greens can be used too. You may also skip it and add fresh herbs of your choice. Pepitas: Feel free to use nuts and seeds of your choice.
Other ingredient details and nutritional information are given in the recipe card.
How to make (step by step process)?
Step 1: Rinse lentils and put them in a cooking pot. Step 2: Add water. Step 3: Cook uncovered until all the liquid gets absorbed. It will take around 15 minutes on medium flame. Step 4: Switch off the stove and cover the pot with a lid for 5 minutes. Step 5: After 5 minutes, remove the lid and fluff quinoa with a fork. Step 6: Prepare salad dressing in a bowl by mixing olive oil, balsamic vinegar, maple syrup, lemon juice, dijon mustard, minced garlic, chili flakes, ground black pepper, and salt. Step 7: Put all the ingredients in a large bowl. Step 8: Toss. Check and adjust the seasoning. Your delicious lentil quinoa salad with cherry tomatoes is ready to be enjoyed!
How to cook green lentils from scratch?
If you want to use home-cooked green lentils and have never done that before, just follow the steps below: Step 1: Rinse ⅓ cup + 2-3 tablespoons of lentils with water and put them in a pot. Step 2: Add around 6 cups water and ¼ teaspoon salt. Mix. Steps 3 and 4: Cook covered on a medium flame for around 30-40 minutes or until the lentils are cooked. The lentils should get cooked but not lose shape. Strain the lentils if there is any extra liquid left. The liquid can be used later in soups Note: 1 cup of uncooked lentils will yield around 2.5 cups of cooked lentils.
Serving lentil quinoa salad
This quinoa lentil tomato salad can be served as a refreshing summer salad or as a light meal. You can also stuff it in your warps or use it in your quinoa bowl.
How to store?
Once made, it’s best to use this salad within 24 hours. If you are planning to store it for a longer period, don’t add tomatoes and cucumbers. They start releasing water after getting mixed with salt and lemon, making the salad taste stale if left for a longer period. Mix all the other ingredients and store them in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Add cherry tomatoes and cucumber when you plan to serve.
Can you freeze this quinoa salad?
No, you can not freeze the assembled quinoa salad as it has raw vegetables that won’t remain crunchy on getting thawed.
Recipe tips and tricks
Season quinoa properly otherwise it will taste bland. Before rinsing lentils, always check them to make sure there is no debris. 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.
Frequently asked questions
More easy quinoa recipes
Looking for more ideas to add quinoa to your diet? Don’t miss checking the following easy quinoa recipes. If you liked this recipe, please leave a star rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ in the recipe card below. You can also follow me on Instagram, Youtube, and Pinterest.
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