Fresh flavorful herbs, crunchy vegetables, and ample vegetarian protein dressed in a tangy olive oil and vinegar dressing, French green lentil and quinoa salad is one awesome got-it-all salad. One that everyone would be happy find on a potluck buffet or served atop crisp green lettuce on a hot summer day!
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The beautiful thing about this salad is you can adapt it to whatever fresh herbs and vegetables are in season. This particular salad features radishes and celery for vegetables, and parsley and tarragon for herbs.
Other vegetable possibilities would be carrots, or cucumbers, or jicama. Herbs could be cilantro or basil and mint, and of course ample parsley.
For mild onion flavor, and because it’s chive season right now, this French green lentil and quinoa salad also features fragrant green chive stems and their edible lavender flowers. If you don’t have chives, add some finely minced red onion.
About fresh tarragon:
- If you aren’t familiar with fresh tarragon in salads or with vegetables, you’ll wonder what you’re tasting. Have to say, a year ago, I thought I didn’t care for tarragon’s aromatic aniselike notes. But since my neighbor’s garden was overflowing with the prolific perennial and she was giving it away, I decided to give it a try. Fresh minced tarragon added a subtle magical mystery flavor to my lentil and quinoa salad. I’m a tarragon fan now, that’s for sure.
Other salads featuring quinoa:
- Kale and Quinoa Salad.
- Quinoa and Parsley Tabbouleh.
- You might also like this easy Rainbow Quinoa Egg Bake.
#Eat Seasonal:
This French green lentil and quinoa salad is part of June’s seasonal recipe roundup, orchestrated by our friend Becky from The Vintage Mixer blog.
For more recipes showcasing seasonal fruits and veggies, follow the links from other bloggers below. We hope our recipes encourage you to get in the kitchen and cook something delicious—and seasonal!
Rhubarb & Orange Frangipane Galette by Simple Bites
Roasted Strawberry Yogurt Pops by Completely Delicious
Greek Three Bean Salad by Flavor the Moments
Chunky Citrus Guacamole by Foodie Crush
Cherry-Rhubarb Pie Bars by Floating Kitchen
Strawberry Lime Chopped Salad by Vintage Mixer
Minty Sweet Pea Hummus by She Likes Food
Simply Strawberry Pie by Joy Food Sunshine
Cherry Rolls by Kitchen Confidante
Pimento Cheese Spread with Pickled Green Garlic, Radishes, and Rhubarb by Food for My Family
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French Green Lentil and Quinoa Salad
Ingredients
- 1 cups French green lentils , rinsed and picked over
- 1 cup rainbow quinoa (see note)
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/3 cup red wine vinegar
- 1 clove garlic , minced
- 1 teaspoons fine sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup lightly packed parsley leaves , finely chopped
- 1/2 cup lightly packed tarragon leaves , finely chopped
- 1 cup diced celery
- 1 cup thinly sliced radishes
- ½ cup lightly toasted walnuts , coarsely chopped
- 1/3 cup chopped chives or green onions
- Tiny florets separated from chive blossoms , optional
Instructions
- Bring 3 cups of water to a boil in a saucepan. Add the lentils and ½ teaspoon of the salt. Lower the heat and simmer until tender but firm, about 20 minutes. Drain, place in a large bowl, stir in about a teaspoon of olive oil and set aside.
- Rinse the quinoa and drain in a fine-mesh sieve. (see note)
- In another saucepan, bring 1 3/4 cups of water to a boil. Add rinsed quinoa and ½ teaspoon of the salt. Cover and bring to a boil. Lower the heat, and cook about 15 minutes, until the liquid is absorbed. Add the cooked quinoa to the bowl of cooked lentils.
- Mix the olive oil, vinegar, garlic, salt and pepper. Pour over the lentils and quinoa. Stir in the parsley and tarragon. Add the celery, radishes, and chives, and toss again. Taste, add more salt if you think it’s needed. Chill in the refrigerator to let the flavors meld.
- Just before serving stir in the walnuts and chive blossoms, if using.
Notes
- Quinoa has a natural coating called saponin that repels insects and birds and can create a bitter taste. Rinsing with warm water removes the saponin.
- You can use any color quinoa you have, red, regular, or tri-color like in this recipe.
Nutrition
** This is an update of the lentil and quinoa salad from summer 2013. Back then I created recipes every week for my CSA and posted them on a wordpress.com blog called muffintalk. All those CSA recipes migrated over to here and I’m gradually updating the winners with photos. The original salad included garlic scapes, tarragon, summer savory, and chives from our CSA box.
[…] Lentil and Quinoa Salad from Letty’s Kitchen […] · 8 March, 2018
Loved this, added steamed green beans and steamed carrots excellent · 3 July, 2018
Thank you! I love your idea to add green bean and carrots! · 6 July, 2018
Hi Letty,
I would like to post your French Green Lentil and Quinoa Salad recipe and picture on my face book page and of course credit you for it. Wondering if that would be ok.
Janet Zdichavsky Rncp Rohp
janethealth.com · 15 March, 2019
Of course Janet. Thank you for asking and linking to my blog. Enjoy! · 15 March, 2019
LOVE this recipe. It’s so fresh and tasty. I’m printing the recipe to save, this will be my 3rd time making it in probably 2 months. · 29 June, 2020
Thank you Amy. I’m so happy you enjoy it! It’s one of my favorites too. · 29 June, 2020