30 Minute Quinoa Lentil Salad with Kale
Bursting with flavour, this nourishing quinoa lentil salad is so easy and tasty, and packed with plant-based protein for a hearty side or a simple vegetarian dinner.
Ingredients
- 1 cup dry French lentils 3 cups cooked, see Low FODMAP note below.
- 1 cup quinoa 3 cups cooked
- 1 bunch lacinato kale destemmed and thinly sliced
- ½ cup walnuts chopped
- ½ medium shallot very thinly sliced, omit for Low FODMAP see note
- ⅓ cup Medjool or Deglet Noor dates pitted and thinly sliced
- 1 batch Fresh Lemon Dijon Vinaigrette maybe make 2 batches as the salad sucks up dressing!
Instructions
Cooking the lentils and quinoa
- Sort and rinse the lentils. Bring a medium pot of water to boil. Salt and add lentils, cooking until al dente - not soft! - about 8-20 minutes. Just check every 2-3 min after the 8 min mark. Bonus flavour: add a peeled garlic clove to cooking water as you boil.
- Meanwhile, cook quinoa according to package directions. Bonus flavour: cook in half broth or add 1 tsp Better than Bouillon to the cooking water.
- When done, drain and rinse both the quinoa and lentils with cold water to help them cool.
Assembling the salad
- Place the kale in a large salad bowl. Drizzle over 2 tablespoons (15 mL) of the dressing and massage the kale until it wilts and softens, 1-2 minutes.
- Next, add the cooked lentils, quinoa, dates, walnuts, shallot and toss.
- If serving soon, toss well with the dressing. If making in advance, wait until 10-15 minutes before serving to dress so the salad doesn't suck up all the dressing.
- Salad keeps very well, dressed or not, for 3-4 days in the fridge. Leftovers will need some extra dressing to boost flavour.
Video
Notes
This salad makes 4 hearty main dish servings, or 8-10 side dish servings!
Low FODMAP notes: Use 1 cup total rinsed canned lentils in place of the cooked lentils. Ditch the shallot and garlic in the vinaigrette. Maybe add a pinch of chile flakes to add a bit of extra zip.