Quinoa and Lentil Salad with Feta and Herbs
by Jay Wadams
This quinoa and lentil salad is one of my favourites. High-protein, full of texture, and loaded with cranberries, toasted seeds, capers, herbs and crumbled feta. The yoghurt-cumin dressing with lemon and honey is an absolute must!
Ingredients
For the salad:
- 150 g dried quinoa about 450g cooked
- 150 g dried brown or green lentils about 300g cooked
- 1 medium red onion finely diced
- Juice of 1 lemon around 40-50ml
- ¾ cup dried cranberries or sultanas
- small bunch dark seedless grapes chopped
- ½ cup mixed toasted seeds pine nuts, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds
- 3 tbsp capers rinsed and roughly chopped
- 1 small bunch flat-leaf parsley finely chopped
- 1 small bunch mint finely chopped
- 1 small bunch coriander optional, finely chopped
- 125 g feta crumbled
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- Olive oil for seasoning
For the dressing:
- 100 g plain Greek yoghurt
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tsp runny honey
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- Salt and pepper to taste
Scan the QR Code to view the online recipe with detailed instructions, photos, hints, tips and more at daysofjay.com
Instructions
- COOK THE QUINOA: Rinse quinoa well under cold water. Add to a saucepan with 300ml water and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for 15 minutes. Fluff with a fork and let cool completely.
- COOK THE LENTILS: Rinse lentils and place in a saucepan with plenty of cold water and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 20 to 25 minutes until tender but holding their shape. Drain well and let cool.
- BUILD THE SALAD: While the lentils and quinoa are cooking, finely dice the onion and place it in a bowl with the lemon juice. In a large bowl, combine the cooked quinoa, lentils, red onion and lemon, cranberries, toasted seeds, capers and chopped herbs. Season generously with salt and black pepper, and drizzle with a little olive oil. Toss to coat and taste to make sure the flavours are balanced.
- MAKE THE DRESSING: Whisk together the yoghurt, olive oil, lemon juice, honey, cumin, salt and pepper until smooth.
- FINISH AND SERVE: Fold in the crumbled feta, drizzle over the dressing and serve chilled or at room temperature.
Notes
- Canned lentils work fine. Just drain, rinse and skip the boiling step.
- Brown or green lentils hold their shape best. Don't use red, they’ll collapse. (but if you have red lentils, make my Turkish Red Lentil Soup!)
- Adjust the honey and lemon to your taste. Cyprus is famous for its glorious lemons, so I like to use a lot.
- For a heartier version, top with grilled halloumi or pan-roasted chicken breast. SO good!
Nutrition
Serving: 1bowl | Calories: 695kcal | Carbohydrates: 82g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 30g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 0.003g | Cholesterol: 29mg | Sodium: 542mg | Potassium: 753mg | Fiber: 18g | Sugar: 28g | Vitamin A: 186IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 238mg | Iron: 5mg