Quinoa Lentil Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette

If cooking the quinoa and lentils, see notes for cooking instructions.

To prep the kale, remove leaves from the spine and then break the kale into bite size pieces. Toss the kale with a little olive oil and rub all over the kale, massaging it until the kale reduces in volume and becomes less stiff. (This makes a huge difference in the texture of the kale.)

To make the lemon vinaigrette, combine the freshly squeezed lemon juice, lemon zest, raw honey, mustard, sea salt, ground black pepper, and olive oil in a small mixing bowl, and whisk together until well combined.

To assemble the salad, combine cooked quinoa, cooked lentils, kale, garbanzo beans, diced cucumber, diced carrot, quartered grape tomatoes, finely diced red onion, and raw sunflower seeds in a large mixing bowl. Toss to combine.

Drizzle over a few tablespoons of the lemon vinaigrette, and toss once more. For garnish, sprinkle a few more sunflower seeds over the top.

Notes:
1. To cook the quinoa, combine 1 cup uncooked quinoa with 2 cups water, bring to boil, then simmer, covered for 20 minutes. Once all the water is absorbed, fluff with a fork and set aside to cool as well.
2. To cook the lentils, combine 1 cup dry lentils with 3 cups water, bring to boil, then simmer, covered for 30 minutes until tender. Once they’re cooked drain and set aside to cool.