I hosted some friends on a recent summer night and there was the teeniest chill in the air that hinted at the change of the seasons. I set out to experiment on a dish that still had the bright, fresh flavors of summer, but with a hearty twist. The result: this lentil and quinoa salad, full of crisp spinach, delicately sliced slivers of red onions, crumbles of goat cheese and crunchy almonds, and topped with the tastiest, juicy peaches. Add the lentils and quinoa while they’re still warm to the bowl to help wilt down the spinach and red onions, and soften the almonds a bit. The goat cheese will also blend into the mixture, but save a little to add on top too! The celery seeds give the salad extra flavor, and I kept the dressing super simple with some fresh citrusy lemon juice and a light drizzle of oil and vinegar. Add the fresh peaches to the bowl right before serving to keep them from getting mushy, the sweet flavor of summer peaches is the highlight of this dish!
- 3 Cups of Quinoa, cooked
- 3 Cups of Green Lentils, cooked
- 3 Cups of Fresh Spinach
- 1 Cup of Sliced Almonds
- ¼ Cup of Red Onion, thinly sliced
- ¼ Cup of Goat Cheese, crumbled
- 2 Tsp Celery Seed
- ½ Lemon, juiced
- Olive Oil + White Balsamic Vinegar
- Salt and Pepper
- 2 Fresh Peaches, sliced
- While still warm, add the quinoa, lentils to a large bowl.
- Fold in the spinach, almonds, red onion, goat cheese, celery seed and lemon juice.
- Drizzle lightly with oil and vinegar (or your favorite simple vinaigrette) and season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Add sliced peaches to the bowl right before serving.
