Easy Lentil Quinoa Salad with Herbed Vinaigrette (2024)

This lentil quinoa salad is packed with fresh, summery textures and flavors! The zesty herbed dressing pairs perfectly with lots of crunchy veggies such as zucchini, peppers, carrots, hearty lentils and quinoa and sweet orange slices for a one-bowl burst of flavor meal that you can even make ahead. Gluten-free Soyfree Nutfree

This is an amazingly refreshing and summery chopped salad with a simple dressing of Italian herbs, Dijon mustard, black pepper, olive oil, and lime juice.

The salad itself is a satisfying set of ingredients, like lentils, quinoa, crunchy peppers, zucchini, tomatoes, shredded carrots, crunchy seeds and oranges.

You can use whatever fruits and veggies you want to add. Definitely keep this salad recipe on hand for summer picnics.

How to layer a make ahead salad

To make a layered jar salad, keep the moist and hearty ingredients at the bottom and fresh veggies near the top, so that they don’t get weighed down and get soft. Crunchy veggies also need some air circulation to stay crisp, so keep them closer to the top. I add lentils or quinoa at the bottom and tomatoes and hearty zucchini, then the crunchy peppers carrots, seeds and oranges. Seeds or nuts should also be closer to the top to keep the crunch. Fruits depending on the fruit can go the middle or closer to the top.

Why You’ll Love Lentil Quinoa Salad

• hearty, refreshing summer meal
• amazing mix of textures and flavors!
• great make-ahead meal
• gluten-free, soy-free, and nut-free

More Vegan Lentil Salad Recipes

• Lentil Orzo Salad
• Curried Sweet Potato Lentil Salad
• Moong Dal Chaat (sweet-and-savory lentil salad)
• Falafel Spice Lentil Salad Sandwich

Recipe Card

Ingredients and Substitutions

• olive oil – For the dressing. Omit for Oilfree
• spices – Salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, and garlic powder give the dressing a ton of flavor without a ton of work.
• lime juice – Adds zing and an amazing flavor to this dressing.
• Dijon mustard – For even more zest and flavor in the dressing!
• lentils – Use canned or cooked drained brown lentils for this salad.
• quinoa – Use leftover quinoa or cook just a little bit for this salad.
• veggies – Zucchini, tomato, and shredded carrot are lovely in this salad, but feel free to use whatever fresh veggies you have on hand.
• herbs – I’m using fresh cilantro, but feel free to use other herbs of choice, like parsley.
• seeds – Add seeds, like pumpkin and sesame seeds, for protein and crunch.
• vegan cheese – Use nondairy mozzarella or parmesan. You can omit this or use more or less, depending on your personal tastes.
• orange – A little bit of fruit adds sweetness, juicyness and texture to this salad.

Tip

• For a really show-stopping salad, layer the ingredients in a glass serving jar, then toss together just before dishing up your salads.

How to Make Lentil Quinoa Salad

Cook your quinoa and lentils, if you haven’t already and drain and rinse with some cold water and set aside.

If you want to make the salad in a bowl, you can follow the instructions to just mix everything in the bowl or you can store it in a large jar or individual serving jars.

In a medium size tall jar, add all of the dressing ingredients, and mix really well.

Top the dressing with the lentils, carrots, zucchini, tomatoes, quinoa, peppers, seeds, oranges, and cilantro in whichever order you prefer. I like to keep veggies on the top half so they don’t get soggy.

Cover with a lid and store in the fridge for up to three days.

To serve, invert the jar into a bowl, and toss everything really well. Taste and adjust salt and flavor, and serve. You can also add some more crunch with some croutons or tortilla chips.

If you’re making this in a bowl, just add the dressing ingredients to the serving bowl. Mix the dressing, then add all of the rest of the salad ingredients, and toss to coat.

Frequently Asked Questions