Curried Quinoa Salad with Lentils and Sun-Dried Tomatoes

Ingredients:

1 cup dried quinoa
1 cup green or brown lentils
6 sun-dried tomatoes
3/4 cup raw cashews, broken into pieces
juice from two lemons
1 teaspoon of curry powder
dash of mustard powder
fresh cracked black pepper to taste
1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon of ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon of ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon of garam masala
1/2 teaspoon of sea salt
1/2 cup of water
1 - 2 teaspoons of honey
1 large red pepper, seeded and finely chopped
2 - 3 jalapeños, seeded and minced
1/2 cup of scallions, both green parts and white parts, finely chopped

Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Instructions:

Rinse the quinoa under cold running water and soak overnight in 2 cups of water. Bring the quinoa to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until the liquid is absorbed.

Rinse the lentils, transfer to a medium pot, and cover with 3 cups of water. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer until the lentils are tender, about 20 to 30 minutes. Drain off any excess water. Combine the cooked quinoa and lentils in a large bowl, and set aside.

Meanwhile, soak the sun-dried tomatoes in hot water for 20 minutes, then drain and chop finely. Dry roast the cashew pieces over medium-low heat until golden brown, and set aside.

To make the dressing, blend the roasted cashews, mustard powder, black pepper, spices, salt, water and honey in a blender or food processor until creamy. Add some of the dressing to the quinoa and lentils and toss. Now add the red pepper, jalapeños, scallions and sun-dried tomatoes. Add the rest of the dressing and stir well to combine.


Serving Size: 6

Number of Servings: 6

Recipe submitted by SparkPeople user GTKARLA.