Hearty Lentil Salad with Brown Rice, Quinoa and Greens
We've called this a salad but it turns out to be a very satisfying meal in itself, packed with tasty goodness from the lentils, brown rice, quinoa, silver beet, capsicum, cherry tomatoes, cucumber and the tahini dressing flavoured with lemon and garlic.
Serves 2 | Prep time: 15 mins | Cooking time: 5 mins
INGREDIENTS
- 2/3 cup brown rice
- 1/4 cup tri-colour quinoa
- 100g/3.5oz silver beet, roughly chopped (can use other leafy greens)
- 2 spring onion stalks, chopped
- 1 small red capsicum (bell pepper)
- 1 can brown lentils, rinsed & drained
- Iodised salt, to taste
- 1-2 tsp olive oil
- 120g/4.2oz cucumber, chopped
- 150g/5.3oz cherry tomatoes, halved
- Optional: tamari sauce, to taste
- To serve: fresh parsley
Lemon Garlic Tahini Dressing
- 2 Tbsp tahini
- 2 1/2 Tbsp lemon juice
- 2-3 Tbsp water (add extra for a more runny consistency)
- 1/2 tsp cumin powder
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- Iodised salt, to taste
METHOD
- Rinse together the brown rice and quinoa, then cook according to packet instructions.
- Chop all vegetables and drain and rinse the canned lentils.
- Heat a nonstick pan on medium heat. Add silver beet, spring onion, capsicum and salt. Stir for about a minute until the silver beet wilts and some liquid appears, then add the lentils and mix. Heat everything for another 4 minutes.
- Turn off heat and add 1-2 teaspoons of olive oil. Combine well and set aside.
- Make the dressing: you can use a blender to mix or place all dressing ingredients in a bowl and thoroughly mix with a spoon or fork. Add less or more water to create either a creamy or runny consistency.
- Once the rice and quinoa are ready, place in a large bowl. Allow to cool for a few minutes then add the lentils and greens mix, cucumber and tomatoes, and mix well. Drizzle the tahini dressing on top and combine well. Taste the salad and if you like, you can add some tamari sauce at this stage.
- Serve in bowls and garnish with chopped fresh parsley.
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LunchDinnerStartersSaladsGluten Free