I’m really getting back into the grainy salads these days. After writing Grains as Mains I think I grained myself out and therefore didn’t feel inclined to include them in my diet quite so much. I love including grains in salads for the added healthy low GI carbs they add, making them a little more sustaining and filling than if they’d been left out all together.
Quinoa is a fave of mine because of it’s taste, texture and how easy it is to make, although admittedly I’ve also been enjoying cooked quinoa in a packet recently. I also love how filling it is from the decent amount of protein it contains. Mix that with the complex carbs and protein in lentils and you have a win-win situation.
Yet another reason I love this combo is that it keeps well in the fridge so is perfect for making in a large batch for a Sunday cook up. More and more these days I’m quite happy to eat the same meal for lunch a few days in a row and I’m certainly happy to be eating this salad a few times over!
Adding salty feta, which lets face it, makes everything taste 100x tastier along with some sweet strawberries for that summer time feeling makes this salad perfect for this time of year. I’ve also added a light but tangy salad dressing and a big bunch of parsley for more taste. Too often I get lazy with salad dressings but they really do make a different to how delicious a salad can be.
- 1/2 cup quinoa
- 1 carton of green lentils
- 100g feta cheese
- 1 cup strawberries
- 1 small bunch parsley with the stems removed
- juice from half a lemon
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- Pinch salt + pepper
- Rinse the quinoa really well in a sieve. Place in a pan with 1 cup of water and simmer for 15 minutes until all the liquid has been absorbed. Leave to cool.
- Transfer the quinoa into a large bowl. Drain the lentils and add to the bowl. Crumble in the feta and slice the strawberries and add them to.
- Finely chop the parsley and add to the bowl, mixing well.
- To make the dressing whisk all the ingredients together and pour over the salad. Mix well.
- Serve with salad greens or store in the fridge for up to 5 days.
You could totally switch up the strawberries for a different fruit like blueberries or chopped peaches or nectarines. You could also change the dressing by using balsamic in place of the lemon juice and apple cider vinegar as balsamic is a master combo with strawberries!
Are you a fan of grainy salads? Fruit in salads, yey or nay?
I love fruit in salads – this looks so good! x
Fruit in salads is a winner in my book. But I do tend to be too lazy to make any sort of dressing. I tend to go overboard on beetroot or use a bit of balsamic vinegar and that;s all I need to jazz things up (boring but true).
Love feta as well in a salad. Such a tangy salty cheese it really goes well with the sweetness of fruit.
I love strawberries (or grapes!) in a salad at this time of year. They always make a salad seem so much more exciting and refreshing.
I love this sort of salad- we often have an easy dinner now with a pouch of lentils and quinoa (I think it’s Waitrose that do a mixed one), some salad, some veggies like peppers and courgettes, and either some grilled haloumi cheese, or some hummus. So tasty and so quick. I love fruit in salads too- a nice crunchy apple or some lovely sweet berries.