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Home Recipes Course Lunch & Dinner Salads Maple Balsamic Quinoa Lentil Salad
GF Gluten-Free VG Vegetarian

Maple Balsamic Quinoa Lentil Salad

Jump to Recipe Rate Recipe
Posted:6/16/21
Updated:6/16/21

A quinoa lentil salad bursting with flavor and texture thanks to red pepper, carrots, scallions and feta. Tossed in a maple balsamic dressing for a crowd pleasing salad. Gluten free and vegetarian.

quinoa and lentil salad with carrots, feta, diced red bell pepper and scallions in white bowl, on gray board

This Salad is SO Flavorful!

This salad was inspired by a recipe from a farmer’s market in Pennsylvania and I’ve been hooked ever since!

A simple quinoa lentil salad, made with the little french green lentils.

I’ve made this recipe several times for barbecues and dinner gatherings, and it has never disappointed!

The combination of ingredients comes together for a mix of textures and flavors that is so satisfying.

quinoa lentil salad with carrots, red pepper and pita chips in bowl

Salad Ingredients

  • french green lentils, red quinoa and white quinoa – I really recommend french green lentils as they hold their shape a bit better. For the quinoa, you can also cook a tri-blend.
  • carrots, red bell pepper and scallions – thinly sliced carrots, diced bell pepper and scallions offer a variety of texture and flavor.
  • feta cheese – love the saltiness it adds to this salad and works well with the balsamic maple dressing.
  • sea salt & thyme – for some additional flavor.
french green lentils, red quinoa, white quinoa, red bell pepper, carrots and green onion on gray board with text labels

Maple Balsamic Dressing

This dressing is so delicious and really makes this salad come to life!

Here’s what you need:

  • balsamic vinegar
  • maple syrup
  • extra virgin olive oil
  • lemon 
  • fresh garlic
  • salt

How To Make

This quinoa lentil salad is really quite simple and comes together so easily.

cook quinoa and lentils together

Put rinsed lentils, quinoa, thyme, and salt in large pot with 1 1/3 cups of water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for about 20 minutes (until water has gone). Drain any excess water and let cool.

prep vegetables and feta

In a large bowl combine grated carrot, diced red pepper, and chopped scallions. Set aside.

make the dressing

Combine juice of one lemon, garlic, maple syrup, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and salt – whisk well or use blender.

  • olive oil, balsamic vinegar, lemons, maple syrup and garlic on gray board, with text labels

Combine

Let your quinoa and lentils cool, toss everything together in a bowl, chill in the fridge and you’re done!

carrots, red bell pepper, scallions, and quinoa in glass bowl

Easy to Meal Prep

This salad is even great to make the night before, because the flavors of the dressing get a chance to seep into all the pockets of quinoa and veggies.

How to Serve

This lentil salad is great as a side dish for cookouts, meal prep salad for lunch, and works great as a dip served with pita chips too.

This quinoa lentil salad serves 6 as a decent sized side, with 13 grams of fat, 24 grams of carbs, and 12 grams of plant-based PROTEIN (thanks to the lentils and quinoa).

More Gluten Free Salads for Meal Prep

  • Crunchy Cashew Quinoa Salad
  • Vegan Kale Caesar Salad
  • Kale Rainbow Quinoa Salad
  • Easy Chickpea Salad

If you make this recipe, be sure to leave a comment and review below! It is a huge help to hear from you and it also helps others learn more about the recipe too!

Print

Maple Balsamic Quinoa Lentil Salad

quinoa lentil salad with carrots, red pepper and pita chips in bowl
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★★★★★

5 from 3 reviews

A delicious combination of flavors and textures happening in this Maple Balsamic Quinoa Lentil Salad. Cook the quinoa and lentils together, prep the vegetables, toss with a homemade balsamic dressing and enjoy as as side dish or with chips for dipping. Delicious, gluten free and vegetarian.

  • Author: Ashley
  • Prep Time: 15 mins
  • Cook Time: 20 mins
  • Total Time: 35 mins
  • Yield: 6 1x
  • Category: Salad
  • Method: Stovetop
  • Cuisine: American
  • Diet: Gluten Free

Ingredients

Scale

For the salad:

  • 2/3 cup uncooked french green lentils, rinsed
  • 1/3 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed
  • 1/3 cup uncooked red quinoa, rinsed
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 large carrot, peeled and grated (or 1 cup bagged shredded carrots)
  • 1 large red bell pepper, diced
  • 1 bunch of scallions, green and white parts chopped
  • 6 oz feta cheese, crumbled

For the dressing:

  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • 3 tsp minced garlic
  • 1 TBS pure maple syrup
  • 3 TBS extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt

Instructions

  1. Put rinsed lentils, quinoa, thyme, and salt in large pot with 1 1/3 cups of water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for about 20 minutes (until water has gone). Drain any excess water and let cool.
  2. In a large bowl combine grated carrot, diced red pepper, and chopped scallions. Set aside.
  3. Combine juice of one lemon, garlic, maple syrup, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and salt – whisk well or use blender.
  4. Add the cooled quinoa and lentils to the bowl of vegetables, add dressing and toss to coat. Fold in your crumbled feta.
  5. Let chill in fridge for 30 minutes until ready to serve. Serve as side salad or with chips for dipping.

Notes

Using either all red or all white quinoa is fine. The red quinoa tends to hold it’s shape better for cold salads like this one, but I like the mix of white in there as well.

1 cup or pre-packaged shredded carrots works just fine, but I prefer the freshly grated whole carrots as they aren’t as dry.

This salad is great to make ahead, as the flavors of the dressing will settle in overnight in the fridge.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1/6
  • Calories: 221
  • Sugar: 8
  • Sodium: 461
  • Fat: 14
  • Saturated Fat: 5
  • Unsaturated Fat: 7
  • Trans Fat: 0
  • Carbohydrates: 24
  • Fiber: 4
  • Protein: 12
  • Cholesterol: 25

Keywords: lentil salad recipe, quinoa salad, balsamic dressing recipe

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About Ashley

"Ashley Walterhouse is the founder of Fit Mitten Kitchen, based in the Greater Lansing Area of Michigan, AKA “the Mitten.” Ashley grew up as a picky eater but later discovered that eating healthy was actually easy and fun. She started FMK in 2015 as a way to share her newfound love of developing healthier recipes for all to enjoy."

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  1. Annmarie says

    7/6/2015 at 10:28 am

    Yay for lentils! This looks really good- love the combo of all those ingredients! 🙂

    Reply
    • Ashley says

      7/6/2015 at 1:36 pm

      Thanks, Annmarie! Lentils are so great! They don’t get enough credit sometimes! 😉

      Reply
  2. Sam @ PancakeWarriors says

    7/6/2015 at 5:59 pm

    Ok first of all the balsamic maple dressing – omg I’m drooling. But then you put it on lentils and quinoa (my two loves) oh I can’t wait to try this combo!! I bet it’s great cold or warm! Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
    • Ashley says

      7/6/2015 at 7:51 pm

      Yay, Sam! Let me know how you like it! 🙂

      Reply
  3. Rachel @ athletic avocado says

    7/7/2015 at 7:31 am

    balsamic and maple sound like a great combo! Thanks for sharing 🙂

    Reply
    • Ashley says

      7/7/2015 at 7:44 am

      It is definitely tasty. This dressing would be great on a tossed bed of greens as well! 🙂

      Reply
  4. GiGi Eats says

    7/7/2015 at 2:03 pm

    MAPLE & BALSAMIC? That’s a pairing I would never even THINK about putting together!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Ashley says

      7/7/2015 at 2:26 pm

      It is seriously so good. I’ve been enjoying the leftovers for lunch, on top of salad greens with grilled chicken for the past couple days 😉

      Reply
  5. Beverley @ sweaty&fit says

    7/7/2015 at 3:48 pm

    woww this looks delicious! I love having lentils as part of salads, they’re so filling and healthy but soo GOOD

    Reply
    • Ashley says

      7/7/2015 at 6:37 pm

      Thanks, Beverley! Lentils are a great addition to salads, good dose of plant protein! 🙂

      Reply
  6. Shelby @ Go Eat and Repeat says

    7/7/2015 at 8:18 pm

    I had never thought of putting a sweet spin on quinoa before! Plus, talk about a power meal!

    Reply
    • Ashley says

      7/7/2015 at 8:20 pm

      It’s sweet, but not overpowering! The maple and balsamic balance each other out quite nicely! 🙂

      Reply
  7. Nicole @ Fitful Focus says

    7/7/2015 at 9:52 pm

    This looks delicious! I would definitely top it with some salmon and bring it to work for lunch. Pinning!

    Reply
    • Ashley says

      7/8/2015 at 6:17 am

      Salmon would be sooo good! Thanks for the pin, Nicole! 🙂

      Reply
  8. Kennedy Cole|KCole's Creative Corner says

    7/8/2015 at 8:09 am

    This looks great! All of those salty and hearty and sweet and savory flavors working together to create one BEAUTIFUL dish! 😀

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Ashley says

      7/8/2015 at 8:25 am

      Thanks, Kennedy! 🙂

      Reply
  9. Tara | Treble in the Kitchen says

    7/8/2015 at 9:00 am

    Call me crazy, but the maple in this recipe makes me think this would be good to bring to a Thanksgiving gathering 🙂

    Reply
    • Ashley says

      7/8/2015 at 10:29 am

      Oh yes, lovely idea Tara! 🙂 I’ll have to keep that in mind come November!

      Reply
  10. Emily @ Zen & Spice says

    7/8/2015 at 5:40 pm

    I’ve never tried red quinoa before! Love the flavor combinations in this dish!

    Reply
    • Ashley says

      7/8/2015 at 7:13 pm

      Oh red quinoa is so great! I love prepping a bunch to toss onto salads throughout the week. I think it makes for a better “cold” dish, using red vs. white. Either work though, really. There is black quinoa too! That I have not tried…

      Reply
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