• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Veggie Inspired logo
  • Home
  • About
  • Recipes
  • Cookbooks
    • The Meatless Monday Family Cookbook
    • The Meat-Free Kitchen
    • Plant-Based Diet Cookbook For Dummies
  • Subscribe
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • Veganuary
  • About
  • Cookbooks
  • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipes
    • Veganuary
    • About
    • Cookbooks
    • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • ×

    Home » Recipes » Salads

    Lentil Quinoa Salad with Spinach and Citrus

    Published: Jun 18, 2017 · Modified: Sep 4, 2020 by Jenn Sebestyen

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Please see my Privacy Policy for more details.

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    Lentil Quinoa Salad w/ Spinach & Citrus - a protein packed superfood salad that makes an energizing light lunch or a filling main meal for dinner. Avocado and pecans provide a good dose of healthy fats as well. Drizzle the oil free balsamic vinaigrette over the top and you will fall in love with this easy salad.

    This nutritious Lentil Quinoa Salad is hearty enough to be an entree. Packed with protein, superfood greens, refreshing fruits, and healthy fats, this is one meal that will leave you feeling energized and ready to tackle the world. 

    Lentil Quinoa Salad in a white bowl next to a striped dish towel and slices of orange.

    I always tend to lean toward salads when I’m having friends over for lunchtime. They are quick to prepare since ingredients can generally be prepped ahead of time and simply tossed together when ready to eat.

    Not just any green salad will do, however. I like them to have some staying power.

    I made this the other day for a friend and it was a big hit. My Lentil Quinoa Salad with Spinach and Citrus is protein packed and filling while still being an energizing light lunch.

    Lentil Quinoa Salad w/ Spinach and Citrus. Garnished with pecans.

    I made the lentils and quinoa separately in my new favorite kitchen appliance, the Instant Pot.

    The lentils took me 15 minutes and the quinoa ONE MINUTE. Yup, you read that right…one minute to cook quinoa.

    Okay, technically, it was 11 minutes because you have to wait 10 minutes for the pressure to release, but it’s only cooking for 1 minute. And all of that time is hands off and you don’t have to worry about the pot boiling over.

    All you have to do is add it to the Instant Pot with water and turn it on. (By the way, this amazing device can also be used as a slow cooker, rice cooker, yogurt maker, steamer, warmer and can be used to sauté. It is totally worth the money!)

    For more tips and tricks on cooking and serving lentils and quinoa, check out my articles about Vegan Lentil Recipes and Vegan Quinoa Recipes.

    Salad of spinach, orange slices, tomatoes, quinoa, lentils, & pecans in a white bowl next to a gray and white striped dish towel.

    The vitamin C in the clementines will help your body absorb the iron in the lentils and spinach.

    You will get plenty of protein, folate, fiber, Vitamin K, Vitamin A, B vitamins, etc…the list goes on and on.

    You’ll also get a good dose of healthy fats from the avocado and pecans. This is one nutrient rich dish!

    And if you love the powerhouse punch of plant protein of lentils and quinoa together, check out my Baked Red Lentil Quinoa Fritters. They’re kind of like a play on falafel and they are sooo good!

    I drizzled a creamy oil-free balsamic vinaigrette over this quinoa salad just before serving. It doesn’t need much dressing, though, as the salad is quite flavorful on its own.

    Forkful of salad above a bowl of lentil quinoa spinach salad.

    More vegan salads

    • Arugula Peach Salad
    • Chinese Tofu Salad
    • Vegan Quinoa Salad
    • Massaged Kale Quinoa Salad
    • Healthy Taco Salad
    • Hearts of Palm Salad
    • Raw Veggie Chopped Salad

    I hope you love this recipe as much as we do! If you tried it, please use the rating system in the recipe card and leave a comment below with your feedback.

    Be sure to sign up for my FREE Newsletter to be the first to get my NEW recipes! You can also follow me on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest.


    For even more easy family recipes, be sure to check out my cookbook, The Meatless Monday Family Cookbook!

    Lentil Quinoa Salad in a white bowl next to a striped dish towel and slices of orange.

    Lentil Quinoa Salad with Spinach and Citrus

    A protein packed energizing light lunch.
    5 from 2 votes
    Print Rate
    Course: Entree, Salad
    Cuisine: dairy free, egg free, gluten free, oil free, refined sugar free, soy free, vegan
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 20 minutes
    Total Time: 30 minutes
    Servings: 4
    Calories: 338kcal
    Author: Jenn Sebestyen

    Ingredients

    Salad

    • ½ cup dry lentils (rinsed, drained, and cooked according to package directions)
    • ½ cup dry quinoa (rinsed, drained, and cooked according to package directions) (I used tricolor quinoa for color)
    • ¼ cup diced red onion
    • 2-3 clementines (segmented) (I used 2 as mine were huge and sliced the segments in half)
    • 1 avocado (diced)
    • ½ cup halved grape tomatoes
    • ¼ cup fresh parsley
    • ¼ cup raw pecans
    • 4 big handfuls fresh spinach

    Creamy Oil-Free Balsamic Vinaigrette

    • ¼ cup unsweetened applesauce
    • 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
    • 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
    • 1 tbsp dijon mustard
    • salt/pepper to taste

    Instructions

    • Whisk all vinaigrette ingredients together and set aside.
    • Mix all salad ingredients, except spinach, in a medium bowl.
    • When ready to serve, add one big handful of spinach to individual bowls and top with lentil quinoa mixture. Drizzle with vinaigrette.
    • Store spinach, lentil quinoa mixture and vinaigrette all separately if you have leftovers.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 338kcal | Carbohydrates: 50g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Sodium: 151mg | Potassium: 754mg | Fiber: 13g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 3600IU | Vitamin C: 46.2mg | Calcium: 80mg | Iron: 4.7mg

    Nutrition values are calculated using online calculators and are estimates only. Please verify using your own data.

    Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Mention @Veggie_Inspired or tag #VeggieInspired!

    *This post was originally published in Feb 2015. Photos and content updated June 2017. Original recipe remains the same.*

    1.6K shares
    • Share
    • Tweet

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Jessica Reimer says

      August 01, 2022 at 7:02 pm

      This was absolutely delicious! I used cilantro instead of parsley, walnuts instead of pecans (it’s what I had on hand), added a sprinkle of pepitas, some cucumber and it turned out great. The flavors of all the ingredients worked so well together.5 stars

      Reply
      • Jenn Sebestyen says

        August 01, 2022 at 8:01 pm

        I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Jessica. Thank you for your feedback!

        Reply
    2. Cadry says

      June 24, 2017 at 9:45 am

      I always want something hearty in my salads too to give them staying power. Lentils & quinoa are the perfect answer. I seriously need an Instant Pot. I keep hoping they’ll have one of those big sales again!

      Reply
    « Older Comments

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Jenn Sebestyen of Veggie Inspired

    Hi, I'm Jenn! This is where I share delicious plant based recipes for the whole family. I love to cook; I can read cookbooks like novels; and I enjoy experimenting in the kitchen by making standard American favorites healthier.

    More about me →

    Order your copy today!

    The Meatless Monday Cookbook Cover

    Clean Eating

    • The Ultimate Guide to Making Salads for Dinner
    • Vegan Green Goddess Dip
    • Tahini Goddess Dressing (Oil-Free)
    • Easy Vegan Mayonnaise with Silken Tofu

    Top Rated

    • Garden Veggie Pasta
    • Veggie Cream Cheese
    • BBQ Chickpeas Sandwiches
    • Vegan Cinnamon Cookies

    Featured In

    As featured in collage.

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    • Privacy Policy
    • Accessibility Statement
    • Nutrition Disclaimer
    • Copyright Statement

    • Sign Up Now for the latest FREE recipes

    • Contact
    • Work With Me
    • Publicity and Press

    Copyright © 2023 Veggie Inspired, LLC

    1607 shares