by The Culinistas
We’re not gonna lie: This dish may just be our favorite grains dish. It’s packed with good stuff (hello, lentils, which are low in calories and high in protein) & also tastes *truly* delicious. The sun-dried tomato vinaigrette coats the mouth with a tart, bright, rich tang with a hit of spice in all the best ways thanks to the cayenne. One bite and you’ll be a believer.
Chef tips:
– You should add woody spices to water when cooking grains to build another flavor dynamic through the dish; then remember to discard them!
– Consider using the sun dried tomato oil in the dressing. It adds a nice hit of flavor.
– Dice the mozzarella small so the smokiness of the cheese isn’t overpowering throughout the salad.
Lentils & Quinoa
Prep Time 20 mins
Cook Time 30 mins
Serves 4 to 6
½ cup black lentils
¼ cup quinoa
¼ cup sun dried tomatoes, drained
2 TB lemon juice
1 TB lemon zest
¼ tsp cayenne
¼ cup olive oil
4 oz smoked mozzarella, cubed
½ cup parsley leaves, roughly chopped, plus
more for garnish
Salt & freshly ground pepper, to taste
1. In a medium saucepan of boiling water, cook lentils until soft, 30 mins. Strain & let lentils cool completely. Set aside.
2. In the same saucepan, boil ½ cup water with quinoa, then simmer, covered, until soft, 20 mins. Let cool & set aside.
3. Make the sun dried tomato vinaigrette: In a high speed blender, blend sun dried tomatoes, lemon juice, zest & cayenne. While the motor is running, slowly stream in oil. Loosen with water if needed. Season with salt & pepper.
4. In a large mixing bowl, combine the lentils, quinoa, mozzarella & parsley. Season to taste with the sun dried tomato vinaigrette.
5. Transfer the salad to a shallow serving bowl & garnish with parsley leaves. Serve at room temperature.
Cayenne never goes out of style. Check out our eComm shop to purchase our favorite brand.