Lemony Lentil Quinoa Salad Recipe | Simple Nourished Living (2024)

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Weight Watchers Recipe of the Day: Lemony Lentil Quinoa Salad

This lemony lentil quinoa salad is one from the archives. It's the recipe that finally turned me into a quinoa lover.

Which, I must admit took a while.

Lemony Lentil Quinoa Salad

Have you ever cooked with quinoa (KEEN-wa)? It's a South American grain-like seed that you cook like rice, simmering it in water or broth until the liquid is absorbed. It's high in protein and gluten-free.

Most well-stocked supermarkets have it. I was able to find it in Eagle River, Wisconsin, Population: 1,626, as far back as 2011.

Quinoa has been really popular with the healthy eating set for several years.

I wanted to like it. But didn't at first.

There was something about it's look and texture I found strange.

But I kept trying. And me efforts were rewarded with this delectable lemony lentil quinoa salad. I've made many yummy quinoa recipes since.

Now I realize I just didn't give it a fair chance. Rice and oatmeal are also bland. You've got to show them a little love to make them delicious too.

Skinny on Lemony Lentil Quinoa Salad

Low in fat and packed with fiber, this lemony lentil quinoa salad is as good for you as it is delicious.

Each serving has 254 calories and:

7 *SmartPoints (Green plan)
4 *SmartPoints (Blue plan)
2 *SmartPoints (Purple plan)
6 *PointsPlus (Old plan)

To see your WW PersonalPoints for this recipe and track it in the WW app or site, Click here!

I think it will work for Weight Watchers Simply Filling, provided you count the oil as part of daily requirement. (Each serving has 1 teaspoon olive oil.)

Following Weight Watchers Freestyle Plan, this is now *4 WW Freestyle SmartPoints.

Be sure to rinse your quinoa really well. It can have a soapy tasting coating called saponin which needs to be washed away.

How to Boil Quinoa

The recipe calls for cooked lentils. I had a package of these little beauties in the fridge. So I used them instead of cooking my own. All I had to do was open the bag and break up the clumps with my fingers before stirring them into the cooled quinoa.

How easy is that?

Camilla's Lemony Lentil Quinoa Salad Recipe

This lemony lentil quinoa salad is light yet substantial. It will work as both a side dish and light lunch or supper.

Prep Time20 minutes mins

Cook Time30 minutes mins

Total Time50 minutes mins

Servings (adjustable): 6

Calories: 254

Author: Martha McKinnon | Simple Nourished Living

Ingredients

▢ 6 cups water, divided
▢ 1 cup green lentils, rinsed
▢ 1 cup quinoa, rinsed really well
▢ 1 teaspoon dried tarragon
▢ ½ teaspoon salt
▢ ½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
▢ 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
▢ ¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
▢ 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (affiliate link)
▢ 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
▢ ¾ cup thinly sliced green onions
▢ ¾ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf Italian parsley

Instructions

In a medium saucepan, bring 4 cups of the water to a boil over high heat. Add the lentils and reduce the heat to medium low, allowing the lentils to simmer, until tender, but not mushy, about 30 minutes. Drain and let them cool completely.
While the lentils are cooking, prepare the quinoa. In another medium saucepan combine the remaining 2 cups water and quinoa. Bring to a boil over medium high heat. Reduce the temperature to low, cover the pan and simmer gently for 15 to 20 minutes, or until all the water is absorbed. Remove the pan from the heat and cool completely.
Make the dressing: in a small bowl (affiliate link), whisk together the tarragon, salt, pepper, lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil and mustard.
When the lentils and quinoa are completely cool, in a large bowl combine them with the sliced green onions, tossing them gently together. Add the dressing and toss again gently until everything is coated.
Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, until chilled, or for up to 4 hours. Just before serving, stir in the chopped fresh parsley.

Recipe Notes

I had a box of Trader Joe's steamed lentils in the fridge, so used them instead of cooking my own. I like to make use of what's readily available whenever I can.

Be sure to rinse your quinoa well. It has a soapy tasting coating called saponin which needs to be washed away.

Serving size: 1 cup

Click here to see your WW PersonalPoints for this recipe and track it in the WW app or site.

7 *SmartPoints (Green plan)

4 *SmartPoints (Blue plan)

2 *SmartPoints (Purple plan)

6 *PointsPlus (Old plan)

Nutrition Facts

Camilla's Lemony Lentil Quinoa Salad Recipe

Amount Per Serving (1 cup)

Calories 254Calories from Fat 63

% Daily Value*

Fat 7g11%

Carbohydrates 38g13%

Fiber 7g28%

Protein 11g22%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: lentil quinoa salad, quinoa salad

Did you make this recipe?Mention @simplenourishedliving on Instagram and tag #simplenourishedliving - we love to see your creations!

Source: adapted from 5 Easy Steps to Healthy Cooking: 500 Recipes for Lifelong Wellness (affiliate link) by Camilla Saulsbury

*Points® calculated by WW. *PointsPlus® and SmartPoints® calculated by Simple Nourished Living; Not endorsed by Weight Watchers International, Inc. All recipe ingredients except optional items included in determining nutritional estimates. SmartPoints® values calculated WITHOUT each plan's ZeroPoint Foods (Green plan, Blue plan, Purple plan) using the WW Recipe Builder.

If you liked this easy recipe for lemony lentil quinoa salad, you might also like:

Weight Watchers Recipe for Quinoa Pilaf with Pistachios, Raisins & Cilantro
Apricot Cilantro Quinoa PilafRecipe at Meatless Monday
Ellie Krieger's Quinoa Pilaf with Pine Nuts Recipe
More than 20 quinoa recipes from the NYT Recipes for Health
Pumpkin Quinoa Muffins from Bob's Red Mill and Lorna Sass

Martha is the founder and main content writer for Simple-Nourished-Living.

A longtime lifetime WW at goal, she is committed to balancing her love of food and desire to stay slim while savoring life and helping others do the same.

She is the author of the Smart Start 28-Day Weight Loss Challenge.

A huge fan of the slow cooker and confessed cookbook addict, when she's not experimenting in the kitchen, you're likely to find Martha on her yoga mat.

More about Martha McKinnon

This post contains affiliate links to products I like. When you buy something through one of my Amazon links or other (affiliate links), I receive a small commission that helps support this site. Thank you for your purchase!

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