Quinoa Chopped Salad tossed with French lentils, a light, dressing, and filling toppings including spiced candied cashews. Perfect for a hearty lunch!
Ingredients
1cupdry quinoa
1cupFrench lentils
2medium carrots, shredded
5ouncesbaby kale
Avocado, for serving
Hard boiled egg, for serving
White Wine Binaigrette:
¼cupwhite wine vinegar
¼cupolive oil
½lemon, juice only
1Tbsp.honey
Pinchof salt
Candied Cashews:
2cupscashews, raw and unsalted
1cupsugar
1 ½cupswater
1teaspoonkosher salt
½teaspooncinnamon
¼teaspooncayenne pepper
Instructions
For dressing, combine ingredients in a bowl and whisk together or shake in a dressing container.
For candied cashews, stir together water, sugar, and cashews in a medium pot. Heat over medium heat until simmering. Continue to simmer, stirring regularly until the liquid turns thick like syrup, about 10 minutes. Then add salt, cinnamon, and cayenne, and continue to stir vigorously.
When the syrup is really sticking to the nuts (maybe 15 minutes of total cooking) spread them out onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Let cool.
Cook lentils and quinoa according to package. I recommend rinsing both and simmering in large pots until they are just cooked through. For quinoa, I usually do 2 cups water per cup of quinoa. For lentils do 4 cups water per cup of lentils. The quinoa will need about 15 minutes to cook, slightly covered. The lentils will need closer to 25 minutes.
For quinoa, drain, cover, and let steam for a few minutes. Then fluff with a fork and let cool.
For lentils, drain, rinse with cold water, and let dry slightly.
For salad, combine kale and grated carrots in a large bowl. Toss with cooled quinoa and lentils.
Serve individual bowls with dressing drizzled on top and topped with avocado, hard-boiled eggs, and candied cashews.