This flavorful one-pot sweet and spiced quinoa lentil salad is the perfect easy dish to make for lunch or dinner and serve hot or cold. It is full of nutrient-rich ingredients and is vegan, gluten-free and refined sugar-free. The recipe only requires five minutes of hands-on time and uses mostly pantry ingredients.
One-Pot Sweet and Spiced Quinoa Lentil Salad
One-pot quick and easy meals are my life right now. This sweet and savory quinoa lentil salad is ready in just 25 minutes and makes enough for leftovers. This is an excellent meal prep recipe since the salad stores well and can be enjoyed either cold or hot. You can make a batch in advance and pack for lunch, a picnic or a potluck. I make it for dinner and typically enjoy leftovers for lunch the next couple of days since it makes four servings.
This flavorful salad is perfect for meal-prep and can be served warm or cold. It is incredibly satisfying and loaded with plant-based protein and fiber. The fresh parsley, fresh cilantro, green onions, red onions, fresh lime juice, maple syrup and ground spices provide loads of flavor. There is absolutely nothing bland about this colorful dish!
This colorful dish is full of savory flavor from fresh cilantro, fresh parsley, red onions, green onions, turmeric, curry powder and vegetable broth. This all pairs beautifully with chewy, sweet and tart dried berries, sweet and crunchy sliced almonds and a touch of maple syrup for added sweetness. A squeeze of fresh lime juice at the end brings out all the amazing flavors going on in this dish.
I find this salad to be incredibly satisfying and filling since it is loaded with plant-based protein from the quinoa, lentils and sliced almonds. You can omit the sliced almonds for a nut-free option. It is naturally gluten-free and grain-free (and yet quite hearty).
Looking for more quinoa recipes?
These are all vegan and gluten-free recipes with quinoa:
Mango-Avocado Quinoa Salad with Toasted Pepitas
Roasted Veggies & Crispy Chickpeas over Quinoa with Garlic Maple Tahini Drizzle
Roasted Beet Noodles Over Quinoa with Parsley Pesto
Quick & Easy One-Pot Curried Quinoa & Chickpeas
Crispy Quinoa and Avocado Salad with Strawberry Vinaigrette
One-Pot Sweet & Spiced Quinoa Lentil Salad
Berry-Cherry Quinoa Salad with Candied Walnuts and Balsamic-Shallot Vinaigrette
One-Pot Sweet & Spiced Quinoa Lentil Salad
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Total Time: 25 mins
- Yield: 4 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This one-pot sweet and spiced quinoa lentil salad is the perfect easy dish to make for lunch or dinner and serve hot or cold. It is full of nutrient-rich ingredients and is vegan, gluten-free and refined sugar-free. The recipe only requires five minutes of hands-on time and uses mostly pantry ingredients.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 red onion, diced
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 teaspoon curry powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 cup uncooked white quinoa
- 1/2 cup French green lentils or black Beluga lentils
- 3 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
- 6 green onions, ends removed and diced
- 1 cup fresh cilantro, large stems removed and chopped
- 1 cup fresh parsley, large stems removed and chopped
- 1/2 cup sliced almonds
- 1/2 cup dried mixed berries or dried cranberries
- 1 juicy lime, juiced
- 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
Instructions
- In a large rimmed saute pan heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add red onion, turmeric, curry, salt and pepper and saute for 2-3 minutes until onions are soft and start to turn translucent.
- Add the quinoa, lentils and vegetable broth and stir until well combined. Bring to a boil. Place the pan lid securely on top and turn the heat to low. Simmer for 17-20 minutes without lifting the lid. My pan is non-stick and ceramic and cooks everything evenly without burning the bottom. It took 20 minutes exactly in my pan and I checked on it by viewing through the clear lid at 17 minutes. At that point not all the liquid was absorbed so I let it cook for the full 20 minutes.
- Once all the liquid is absorbed, turn the burner off and stir in the green onions, cilantro, parsley, almonds, dried berries, lime juice, and maple syrup. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. You may want to add more salt, pepper, lime juice, maple syrup or herbs. Enjoy immediately hot or warm or store in an airtight container in your refrigerator for up to five days. This salad is also delicious served chilled. It can be reheated in the microwave in a microwave safe container if desired.
Notes
Many of you ask about these storage jars. I love them so much. They can be found here.
- Category: Entree or Lunch
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Moroccan
Keywords: quinoa lentil salad
Recipe adapted from Ambitious Kitchen’s One Pot Moroccan Chickpea Quinoa Salad.
Omg! These salad jars look great! Could you share where they are from?
Thank you so much! I love them! They are by Weck. Here is a link: https://www.eatingbyelaine.com/product/mold-jar-set-of-6/
This was delicious. Made it for a pool party and everyone loved it. Only adjustments were that I broth sautéed instead of oil and I added mint because I like mint. Thanks for the recipe.
Awesome! So happy to hear it! This is one of my go-to favorite dishes on the blog… I love your adjustments… mint sounds incredible especially during summer! Glad it was a hit at your pool party! Did you serve it cold?
I sampled it while it was warm – so good – for the gathering, I served it cold with a bag of spring mix.
Sounds incredible!
I don’t like parsley and my husband doesn’t like cilantro. Any ideas for other herbs to use? Mint?
I think mint would be a great idea… not too much though.. maybe with chives too! I haven’t tried it this way but mint could work well here I think…
Also you could try finely chopped fresh baby arugula! Do you like arugula?
Do you like baby arugula? You could finely chop that up and use that instead!
I was wondering if you use uncooked or cooked lentils?
uncooked
I made this tonight and it was really good! We loved it 🙂
I used a can of cooked lentils instead of the uncooked ones and it worked great, i just used half the broth to make it work.
Amazing! So happy to hear that! Thank you for the feedback and for letting us know cooked lentils work just as well (with half the broth). That is super helpful to know for other readers. Thanks again for taking the time!
This was delicious! I added spinach halfway through the lentils and quinoa were cooking (after like 10ish min) to add extra greens in my life.
Thank you so much, Christina! So happy you hear you enjoyed it and were able to get in those greens!
I’m making this recipe times 3 – am I reading correctly that I am going to cook 3 whole red onions with the spices? Just wanted to double check!
Awesome! Yes, that is correct. Best, Elaine
I love this salad. The flavors are delicious. I put some lettuce and the salad on a wrap. It was delicious. Thanks Elaine.
Thank you so much, Karen! I love that you wrapped it up! What a fun idea! So happy you enjoyed this one so much! Best, Elaine
I am just in love with this salad. It is so delicious and addictive. I am just hoping there will be some leftover for tomorrow’s lunch. Thinking I might stuff some in a pita with onions and cucumbers.
Thank you so much, Diana! I’m so happy you love this one too! Stuffed in a pita with onions and cucumbers sounds amazing!! 🙂
Wow! This recipe does go together fast and makes the kitchen smell amazing! Yum
Thank you so much, Tricia! I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed this one! I agree it does fill up the kitchen with the best smell! Thank you again! Best, Elaine