Serves 6 | Prep Time: 30 minutes | Total Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients

• 1½ cups quinoa
• ¼ teaspoon plus 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 cup green lentils
• 1 cup diced red bell pepper
• ½ red onion, diced
• ½ cup chopped green onions
• 1 large bunch parsley, stemmed and chopped
• ½ cup chopped fresh mint
• ½ cup chopped fresh dill
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• Juice of 2 large lemons
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• ½ cup diced tomatoes
• ½ cup cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced

Directions

1. Rinse the quinoa thoroughly in a mesh strainer.
2. Place it in a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir to let the water evaporate and toast the quinoa slightly, about 1 minute.
3. Add 3 cups of water and ¼ teaspoon of sea salt to the pan and bring it to a boil.
4. Turn the heat to low, cover and simmer for 15 minutes.
5. Leaving the quinoa covered, remove it from the heat and let it stand for 5 minutes. Uncover and fluff the quinoa with a fork.
6. Meanwhile, in a separate medium saucepan, combine the lentils with 2 cups of water. Bring it to a boil.
7. Turn the heat to low, partially cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until all of
   the water is absorbed.
8. Combine the cooked quinoa and lentils in a large mixing bowl and allow them to cool (or
   refrigerate to speed up the process).
9. When the quinoa mixture has cooled, mix in the red bell pepper, red onion, green onion, parsley, mint, dill, and garlic.
10. In a jar or small bowl with a lid, combine the lemon juice, lemon zest, cumin, 1 teaspoon sea salt, and black pepper. Shake to combine.
11. Pour over the lentil and quinoa mixture and stir to combine.
12. Adjust the seasonings of needed. Just before serving, top the salad with diced tomatoes and cucumber.