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Lentil Quinoa Salad w/ Spinach & Citrus – this nutritious 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.
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.
Easy to Make
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 (why does the pot always boil over for me?!). 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!)
Nutrient Dense
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 it’s own. I just never pass up an opportunity with balsamic. I could practically drink the stuff. Yum!
Lentil Quinoa Salad
I hope you love this Lentil Quinoa Salad as much as we do. If you make it, please come back and leave me a comment below with your feedback and star rating. You can also find me on social media, so snap a quick pic and tag me @veggie_inspired and #veggieinspired so I’m sure to see it. Enjoy!
- 1/2 cup dry lentils (rinsed, drained, and cooked according to package directions)
- 1/2 cup dry quinoa (rinsed, drained, and cooked according to package directions) (I used tricolor quinoa for color)
- 1/4 cup diced red onion
- 2-3 clementines (segmented) (I used 2 as mine were huge and sliced the segments in half)
- 1 avocado (diced)
- 1/2 cup halved grape tomatoes
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley
- 1/4 cup raw pecans
- 4 big handfuls fresh spinach
- 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 tbsp dijon mustard
- salt/pepper to taste
- 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.
*This post was originally published in Feb 2015. Photos and content updated June 2017. Original recipe remains the same.*
Other Hearty Entree Salads to Love:
Quinoa Spinach Salad w/ Roasted Butternut Squash and Apples
Southwest Black Bean Pasta Salad
Loaded Veggie Chopped Kale Salad
Cadry says
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!
Amy Katz from Veggies Save The Day says
You know I love a good quinoa salad! I love how healthy and delicious this one looks!
Jenn S. says
Thanks, Amy!
Uma says
I like everything in this salad. Especially I love to eat fruits and salad. Looks delicious!
Jenn S. says
Thanks, Uma. I love fruit in salads too!
Brandie says
This looks great!! And citrus is perfect for making things tasty and fresh tasting.
Jenn S. says
I agree. Thanks, Brandie!
Trinity Bourne says
Such a delicious combination of some of my favourite things. Was just feeling like I need more quinoa in my salads too. Fab!
Jenn S. says
Thanks, Trinity! I love quinoa in salads!
Strength and Sunshine says
I love the citrus! A nice pop to a perfectly hearty salad!
Jenn S. says
I love bursts of fresh fruit in salads! Thanks, Rebecca!
Alisa Fleming says
The hearty elements in this salad are wonderful. I often find vegan salads to be a little too light, but this one has some heft!
Jenn S. says
This one definitely is filling! I like my salads loaded!
Corina Blum says
The combination of spinach and citrus just goes so well together doesn’t it? This looks so healthy and would be a great choice for a light summer meal.
Jenn S. says
Thank you, Corina! I hope you enjoy it!
Brian Jones says
Lovely combination of ingredients I bet it is a really tasty side.
Jenn S. says
Thanks, Brian!
Dahn says
what a great combination, it looks great, I love cooking with quinoa. It is so fast to prep.
Jenn S. says
Thank you, Dahn! Quinoa is a staple around here too.
Brandi Crawford says
Your very first photo drew me in! This looks so healthy and delicious. I love quinoa.
Jenn S. says
Thank you, Brandi! It’s easy to take great photos with such colorful produce! I hope you enjoy it!
Agness of Run Agness Run says
Such a colorful and nutrient-dense salad recipe, Jenn! Perfect and healthy meal!
Jenn S. says
Thank you, Agness! It’s definitely one of our faves!
Matt says
I noticed that there are cherry tomatoes in the picture but not in the ingredients list. Should there be cherry tomatoes in this recipe?
Jenn S. says
Hi, Matt. Thanks for catching that. I’ve updated the recipe now. Enjoy!
Sarah | Well and Full says
I love the combinations of lentils + quinoa in this salad!
Jenn S. says
Thanks so much, Sarah! It’s a great combo!
Allison says
This recipe looks so yummy! We featured it as part of our May 2015 meal plan here: http://thepintertestkitchen.com/whats-for-dinner-may-2015-meal-plan/
Jenn S. says
Oh wow, thank you so much! That is awesome! What a great post! Thanks, Allison!
Jenn S. says
Thank you so much!
TheNotSoPrfctHseWife says
WoW!! This looks delicious!!! Pinning it and can’t wait to try it!!
Jenn S. says
Thank so much, Mikki!