Crispy Brussel Sprout Quinoa Salad
Crispy Brussel Sprout Quinoa Salad Recipe: Made with roasted brussels sprouts, shallots, and sweet red peppers, this lentil salad is filling and fragrant.
Quinoa Salad Recipe
When it comes to this Quinoa Lentil Salad Recipe, chances are you fit into one of two camps.
Camp A: Where quinoa and lentils are two “health foods” you should probably eat more of, but often (intentionally) forget.
Camp B: You’ve been on the quinoa salad craze sweeping the nation and are now utterly exhausted by quinoa… And lentils for that matter.
Well, let me put your mind at ease by saying, this Crispy Brussel Sprout Quinoa Salad Recipe is more about the “goodies” tossed into the salad than it is about the quinoa.
And the lentils? They add a nice dose of contrast and protein, so they can stay.
You are going to love this… I promise.
Quinoa and Lentils
Lentil salad is one of my favorite side dishes because it’s hearty and oh so tasty, with tons of textural appeal.
In this Quinoa Lentil Salad, you can start two separate components at once, to save time. I cooked the quinoa and lentils in the same pot with a touch of curry. Not enough curry to overwhelm the dish, mind you, just enough to add a little exotic intrigue.
How To Make Quinoa Salad With Lentils
Place the quinoa and lentils in a medium stock pot with water, salt, and curry powder. Bring it to a boil, then cover and reduce the heat to medium-low.
Cook until the quinoa is fluffy and the lentils are cooked, but firm. Remove from heat, but keep it covered until ready to use.
Crispy Brussel Sprouts and Shallots
Meanwhile, preheat the oven and cut the Brussels sprouts in half and slice thin. Place them on a rimmed baking sheet with the sliced shallots and drizzle with olive oil. Toss to coat then spread them out thin and salt and pepper.
Then place a pan of shaved brussels sprouts and shallots in the oven to roast while the quinoa and lentils are cooking, so that they both finish cooking around the same time. Bake until crispy.
See The Recipe Card Below For How To Make This Crispy Brussel Sprout Quinoa Salad Recipe. Enjoy!
Red Peppers and Scallions
Fluff the quinoa and lentils and move them to a large bowl. Add the crispy Brussels sprouts and shallots, chopped sweet sun-dried red peppers, chopped scallions, and the juice of half a lemon. This adds a fresh pop of color and sweetness.
Toss and salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.
Leftovers?
Viola! Rich earthy flavors, crispy goodness, and a tangy-sweet punch at the end.
This quinoa lentil salad goes well with everything but, also stands on its own as a marvelous vegetarian dish.
It also makes the best leftovers as a cold salad! Make sure to refrigerate in an airtight container to make it last for 3-5 days.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Can I Substitute For Sun-Dried Red Peppers?
Try Sun-Dried Tomatoes or Roasted Red Peppers. The flavor won’t be as sweet but will get the job done. One of my readers even tried replacing this ingredient with dried cranberries for Thanksgiving!
Don’t Want To Use Lemon Juice?
Try using 2 teaspoons of red vinegar and 1 tablespoon of water. This was suggested by a reader who is allergic to lemons!
How Do You Tell If The Lentils Are Cooked?
For salads, lentils should be firm, but not hard. As you are cooking them take one out and taste it, kind of like pasta, to test for its texture. Don’t let them get mushy!
Best Lentils For This Brussel Sprouts Salad Recipe?
Make sure you are using a firmer lentil so that it turns out fluffy and not mushy. Red lentils are a no-go while French, beluga, or green lentils are all perfect to use.
More Healthy Salads!
- Chunky Mediterranean Quinoa Salad
- Market Bean Salad Recipe
- Roasted Beet Chickpea Kale Salad
- Kale Salad Recipe with Pecorino, Strawberries, Pine Nuts
- Everyday Salad from Gimme Some Oven
Crispy Brussel Sprouts Quinoa Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cup dried lentils, choose a more firm lentil type
- 2/3 cup dried quinoa
- 3 cups water
- 3/4 teaspoon curry powder
- 8 ounces Brussels sprouts
- 1 cup thinly sliced shallots, about 3-4
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 cup DeLallo Sun-Dried Peppers, chopped
- 1/2 cup scallions, chopped
- 1/2 lemon, juiced
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place the quinoa and lentils in a medium stockpot with 3 cups of water, 1 teaspoon salt, and 3/4 teaspoon curry powder. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook for 25-30 minutes until the quinoa is fluffy and the lentils are cooked, but firm. Remove from heat, but keep covered until ready to use.
- Meanwhile, cut the Brussels sprouts in half and slice thin. Place them on a rimmed baking sheet with the sliced shallots and drizzle with olive oil. Toss to coat then spread them out thin and salt and pepper. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until crispy.
- Fluff the quinoa and lentils and move to a large bowl. Add the crispy Brussels sprouts and shallots, chopped sweet peppers, chopped scallions, and the juice of half a lemon. Toss and salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.
Nutrition
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This is such a wonderful dish – you won’t be disappointed
this is good! thank you
I really loved how flavorful this is! Can’t wait to make it again!
This was very good, I chose to chill it, and eat it through out the week for lunch. I could not find sun dried peppers anywhere in my area. I substituted Harissa mild red pepper sauce in mild, and it turned out delicious!
I was pleasantly surprised. This recipe was delicious. Didn’t have fresh brussel sprouts so defrosted frozen ones and it came out fine. I think what i liked about i was that it was easy. My son is vegan and a lot of the vegan recipes are complicated with special ingredients. This was simple and delish.
How is this as a cold salad?
Thanks!!
Hi Barbara,
It’s a great leftover, straight out of the fridge! :)
I love this recipe! Instead of 8 servings, I split it into 5 (as I’m only cooking for one) & served atop baby greens for bigger dinners. My only issue is that on day 2, the leftovers had already become really dry. Any suggestions?
Very very good. Good wY to “disguise “ Brussels sprouts for those that say they don’t like them. Also much easier and quicker to do the second time. Very filling and there is plenty for leftovers which donreheat well. I think I’m going to add a bit more curry next time.
I chopped up half a cauliflower and red bell pepper to add to the brussels sprouts, and sprinkled the veggies with paprika before baking. I also stirred in a few big handfuls of arugula to the quinoa/lentil mixture at the end. This recipe is good, but could be benefited by adding more veggies.
Looks beautiful! I’m going to make this for thanksgiving, with dried cranberries instead of the sun-dried tomato. Does that sound insane?
Hi Luke! That sound’s fantastic. How did it turn out?
I love this recipe. I’ve made it twice and I have to say it came out amazing with brown lentils but went really mushy with red.
Thank you for such a yummy, healthy recipe! I like how the components cook at the same time.
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This recipe looks delicious but I can’t find sun dried peppers anywhere! Is there something I can use as a substitute that would still taste great? Sun dried tomatoes?? Roasted Red Peppers?? I really want to make this!
Hi Melissa! Yes, you can substitute either but they aren’t as sweet. Let me know how it turns out!
My family Loved this recipe even with the brussel sprouts which everyone swears they hate. Thanks! I will definitely make this again!
This dish was delicious! I made it tonight with the addition of avocado, parsley and subbed some sun dried tomato for the red peppers (it’s what I had!). I don’t usually tinker with recipes but I needed to use up those avocados and parsley but REALLY wanted to make your salad for dinner tonight.
Found you on Pintrest and am excited to try more of your recipes! Thanks for this fabulous addition to my regular menu.
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THIS WAS BEYOND AMAZING! It will become a Vegetarian staple dish in my house. I used 2 tsp of red vinegar + 1 tbsp of water instead of the lemon (I’m allergic) and it still turned out lovely!
Thanks!!
Red lentils, by their nature, turn to mush. A firmer lentil (French, beluga, green, etc) I’d imagine will work much better! Trying this recipe this week!
I remade this with green lentils and it turned out perfect! I also made it with chicken stock and made my own sun dried peppers by charring and then slow roasted in the oven. We ate this as a hot side dish with salmon and was delicious!!!!
Just made this and turned out mushy. I used red lentils because that’s what I had on hand. I cook quinoa and lentils separately all the time. Quinoa normally cooks in 15 mins and rests for 5-10 mins. So on to round two! Went and got some green lentils and will cut back on cooking time and possibly the liquid. But I have all the other ingredients to add and now I may have found a new healthier substitution for mash potatoes with my first round that unfortunately turned out mushy! Lol
Ooops I repeated my comment cause when I left first one and came back it wasn’t there!!!
I used red lentils since it was stated any color and that’s what I had on hand. Sorry to say, mine came out like mush!!! Much like polenta, which if I wanted polenta I would’ve made polenta. So next time I will either back off on liquid or use green lentils and maybe both. The flavors are good but bummer of a first try!!!! Wish other people who commented had tried this instead of commenting on how good it looks and how they want to make it!
Also, I charred my own red pepper. Seriously folks it’s so easy to do and not time consuming, it cooks while everything else does, plus a heck of a lot cheaper than jarred!!!
Just made this today, its sooo delicious! Thank you!
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This is a wonderful vegan recipe – I’m making this for lunch this week – thanks!
I just made this dinner tonight and it was so good! Even my carnivorous fiancé loved it AND was filled by it!
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Brussel sprouts aren’t in season and I couldn’t find them in my supermarket in Milan (Italy). I went for broccoli instead. I’m dying to try the original recipe as I LOVE roasted Brussel sprouts.
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Holy cow, Sommer! This is amazing…. I couldn’t find the Sun Dried Peppers, so i subbed Sun Dried Tomatoes. Amazing!!
This looks sensational, I will be making soon. Love the photography as well.
This sounds delish and I can’t wait to make this for Lent
Wow, this is just what I was looking for today! Healthy with a kick of spice. I’m off to the kitchen. Thanks!
This was so great! Everything came out perfectly cooked with great texture and flavor. Thanks for a great recipe! :)
Holy crap this is great. My lentils were still very firm, which gave some great texture to the dish, since my brussels sprouts didn’t get very crispy. Awesome balance of flavors.
I’m loving the lentils in this. I always see so many quinoa dishes, but the lentils sets this one apart from the rest.
This seriously looks so flavorful, I am ready to dive right into that bowl! YUM!
So healthy, filling and beyond delicious!!
I’d love to dig into this salad, especially with the sun dried tomatoes!
Love the look of this salad. Quinoa is always a favorite of mine :)
Food dork factoid – 90% of the worlds lentils are grown in eastern Washington in the. Palouse! And that’s where Ben is from! So obviously we love lentils! I’m gonna make this for him soon!
Lentils and quinoa are some of my favorite foods, but than you also added sun-dried tomatoes too! Seriously, this looks amazing!
I don’t think I cold ever tire of quinoa or lentils. There are so many possibilities. I love the colors in this dish. Sun dried peppers are something I need to add to my pantry.
Loving this healthy one dish meal Sommer!
Yum! Great flavors and textures in this!!
Looks delicious, Sommer!
I love that this appeals to both crowd A and B – I’m still halfway between those crowds. I’ve exhausted quinoa but I adore lentils still sooo I must give this a try!! :)
This salad is SO yum!
If you would have asked me a year or two ago if I’d ever eat quinoa or lentils or even chickpeas for that matter, I would have told you no. But lately I can’t get enough of these super healthy and tasty foods. Brussels sprouts are another favorite of mine.
I’m with u too, I’ve never heard of all these healthy grains before. But I’m sure loving them now!!!
Lovely salad. I def need to make this.
Goodies is right! This looks fantastic!
This would be a favorite dinner for me!!! Looks so good with all of my favorite ingredients! Mmm!
wow. this salad is SERIOUSLY amazing Sommer. These are all of the healthy ingredients I am really into right now and I love that they all live in one dish!
Um, this is gorgeous!! And definitely something I need to make after my weekend of gluttony.
YUM! loving new ways to use quinoa!
This is pretty much my dream dish! Looks fabulous!