Lentils and chickpeas are marinated in a balsamic vinaigrette and served over quinoa and hummus in this tangy meal prep salad.
Each week I prep at least one lunch recipe, and Marinated Lentils and Marinated Chickpeas often play a part.
This Marinated Lentil and Chickpea Salad is what happens when you turn those two recipes into a complete meal. After marinating in a balsamic vinaigrette, the beans are tossed with cucumber, olives, and toasted almonds, then served over hummus and quinoa.
Looking for a salad to serve to guests? Check out my Vegetarian Lentil Salad with Honey Mustard Vinaigrette instead!
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Recipe highlights
- Protein and fiber packed: Originally part of my higher protein vegetarian meals eBook, this recipe packs 20+ grams of protein and 10+ grams of fiber per serving when including the quinoa.
- Balsamic marinade: The marinade is a modified version of my go-to balsamic vinaigrette, so expect a balsamic tang in each bite of lentils and chickpeas.
- Perfect for meal prep: This salad is best served chilled, so it's easy to assemble a few days of meal prep in advance. This recipe makes roughly 4 servings but can easily be doubled.
- Versatile: Add feta, baked halloumi, or serve with pita chips. You can even swap up the vinaigrette by taking inspiration from the other flavor options in my post on Marinated Chickpeas.
Ingredients
- Balsamic vinaigrette: This is a mix of balsamic vinegar, olive oil, salt, lemon juice (choose a whole lemon because we use the lemon zest in the recipe as well), Dijon mustard (helps with emulsification) and honey (balances out the acidity).
- Quinoa: This is my go-to salad grain, but feel free to use rice, couscous, orzo, etc.
- Chickpeas and lentils: This recipe is written for a total of 3 cups of beans. Canned lentils are becoming more common in grocery stores, so I recommend keeping things easy and using those. Feel free to cook lentils from dry using brown, green, French, or black lentils.
- The add-ins: Toasted almonds (hazelnuts also work well here), feta (optional), sliced cucumber (scoop out the seeds to avoid a soggy salad!), green olives (optional but adds so much tang!).
- Hummus: Even though the lentils are marinated in a dressing, I think that the salad needs a little extra creaminess, so I like to serve it over hummus. This way, each bite gets a little scoop of hummus.
Serving notes
- Leftover marinated lentils and chickpeas are best within 4-5 days.
- Freezing: While I haven't frozen this recipe myself, I don't see why it wouldn't work as long as you only freeze the lentil and chickpea component. I don't think the cucumber would thaw well.
- If meal prepping this for lunches, you can divide it between containers or make Mason Jar Salads! I recommend layering it this way (bottom to top): marinated lentils and chickpeas, quinoa, hummus. Dump it out into a bowl or shake it up and eat from the jar!
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Balsamic Marinated Lentil Chickpea Salad
Balsamic marinated lentils and quinoa are served over hummus and quinoa in this meal prep lunch recipe.
Ingredients
For the balsamic mainade
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice from 1 medium lemon
- zest of one lemon
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1-3 teaspoons honey adjust to taste
- pinch of salt
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
For the salad
- 1 cup dry quinoa
- 2 cups water or vegetable broth
- 15 ounce can lentils drained and rinsed; see note #1
- 15 ounce can chickpeas drained and rinsed
- 1 medium English cucumber
- ½ cup pitted green olives
- ½ cup sliced almonds
- ½ cup feta optional
- ¼ cup freshly chopped parsley
- hummus for serving
- pita chips for serving
- salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste
- lemon wedges for serving
Instructions
- Combine quinoa, 2 cups of water, and a pinch of salt in a medium sauce pot. Bring to a boil. Reduce to a gentle simmer and cover, simmering until the water is fully absorbed, about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and let sit for 5 minutes before fluffing with a fork.
- Meanwhile, make the balsamic vinaigrette in a jar or bullet blender. Start with 1 teaspoon of honey and add the remaining 1-2 teaspoons, to taste.
- Add the drained chickpeas and lentils to a large bowl. Pat dry with a paper towel. Add the balsamic vinaigrette, tossing to combine. Set aside while preparing the other recipe components.
- Slice the a cucumber in half lengthways, using a spoon to scoop out the seeds. This helps the salad keep longer. Slice each half into half moons.Roughly chop the olives.Add the almonds to a medium skillet. Toast over medium heat until aromatic and starting to brown, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Finish with a pinch or two of salt.
- Add the sliced cucumber, chopped olives, toasted almonds, feta, and chopped parsley to the lentils and chickpeas. Toss to combine. Add salt and pepper, to taste.
- For best results, cover and chill the lentils and chickpeas for at least half an hour. Transfer the quinoa to a shallow dish and chill for at least 1-2 hours.To assemble each serving, spread a large scoop of hummus on the bottom of a plate or bowl. Top with a few scoops of quinoa. Squeeze the quinoa with a wedge of lemon, then top with a few scoops of the marinated ingredients. Serve with pita chips and enjoy!
Notes
- Chill time: To be honest, I don't usually chill my quinoa before eating the first serving of this salad because I enjoy a hot-and-cold flavor combo. The chill step does allow the flavors to further develop and creates a more flavorful result.
- For meal prep: If meal prepping this for lunches, you can divide it between containers or make Mason Jar Salads! I recommend layering it this way (bottom to top): marinated lentils and chickpeas, quinoa, hummus. Dump it out into a bowl or shake it up and eat from the jar!
Nutrition
Calories: 631kcalCarbohydrates: 58gProtein: 21gFat: 37gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 6gMonounsaturated Fat: 22gTrans Fat: 0.003gCholesterol: 17mgSodium: 509mgPotassium: 853mgFiber: 13gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 556IUVitamin C: 11mgCalcium: 215mgIron: 6mg
Did you make this?I love hearing how it went! Leave a review or tag me on Instagram @cozypeachkitchen so I can see your creations!
Meet Mr. Wilson
This is the first official Mr. Wilson post on Cozy Peach Kitchen, but he's a bit of a star over on social media and in my weekly emails. I was inspired by Nagi at RecipeTin Eats to share new photos of him at the bottom of each recipe post.
He's quite the photogenic guy and he's always just out of the corner of each recipe video and photo. This week features Mr. Wilson taking a peek out of the window.
If he hasn't already found his way behind the curtains in the front room by the time I'm awake, I make sure to start my day be opening them for him.
Giovanna S. says
So glad you're posting pics of Mr. Wilson! I love him (and all cats and dogs)! Also love Nagi's wonderful dog Dozer! Keep the recipes and photos coming!
Cassidy Reeser, MS, RD says
Yay I'm so happy to hear it! I look for any excuse to share about him, so it's good to hear he's bringing others joy too 🙂