Ready within 40 minutes, this hearty brussels sprouts quinoa and lentil salad is a super satiating salad for colder days. It’s made with wholesome ingredients like roasted brussels sprouts, pickled red onions, quinoa, lentils, and sunflower seeds, and some components can be made ahead of time! Filled with plant-based protein, green veggies, plus a robust spicy vegan caesar dressing made from cashews, this tossed whole grain and veg salad makes excellent lunch leftovers.
I still love using quinoa as a hearty base for salads or bowls. I know that it was everywhere about 8-10 years ago, but I still have a soft spot for it. My green love quinoa salad is always a favourite! In this recipe, I combine quinoa with cooked lentils, roasted Brussels sprouts, and pickled red onions. All topped with the most delicious, creamy-dreamy vegan spicy caesar dressing.
I wouldn’t blame you if you used this recipe for the dressing alone, which can be made up to 1 week in advance. It’s the vegan Worcestershire that really makes a difference here! I add a dash to pretty much every salad dressing I make these days. I use Lord Sandy’s brand. To make this gluten-free, substitute Tamari.
The prep for this salad involves cooking the quinoa on the stovetop and roasting the Brussels sprouts in the oven. You’ll also quickly blend up your dressing. I generally always have pickled red onions on hand, so don’t include them in the prep steps. I share a recipe for them in my recipe for kale sweet potato salad. This Brussels sprouts quinoa salad is slightly heavier on preparation time, but I find a lot of grain/bean salads to be this way.
You can use another grain if that’s what you have on hand! You’ll need 3 cups cooked total grain. So whether you’re subbing in farro, a brown rice blend or millet, let that total amount be your guide. Same goes for replacing lentils–chickpeas would be great here! Just use a can of those instead if that’s what you prefer. I like the lentils because their size is similar to quinoa. On the note of substitutions, you can replace the cashews in the brussels sprout quinoa salad dressing with raw sunflower seeds, pine nuts, or sliced and peeled almonds.
Hope you love this one! It’s veggie-packed and wholesome, but still ideal for these cooler months leading into Spring. The sweet little pops of sun dried tomato on top are so lovely!
Roasted Brussels Sprouts, Quinoa & Lentil Salad with Spicy Caesar Dressing
This hearty roasted brussels sprouts quinoa salad with lentils and spicy vegan caesar dressing does not skimp on flavour! The dressing is tangy, garlicky and spicy. Pickled red onions for brightness and sun dried tomatoes are a bit sweet. Ready in about 40 minutes!
Servings 4
Ingredients
Quinoa & Brussels Sprouts
- ½ cup quinoa, rinsed well and drained
- 1 cup vegetable stock
- 1 lb (454 grams) brussels sprouts, halved
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste
Spicy Caesar Dressing
- ½ cup raw cashews soaked for at least 2 hours and drained
- 3 cloves garlic, peeled
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1 tablespoon capers
- 1 ½ tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon vegan worcestershire sauce
- 1-2 teaspoons hot sauce of choice
- ⅓ cup water
- sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste
Assembly
- 1 ½ cups cooked lentils (from a 15oz/443ml can), rinsed and drained
- ⅓ cup pickled red onions
- ¼ cup oil-packed sun dried tomatoes, finely chopped
- 3 tablespoons toasted sunflower seeds
- chopped parsley or chives, optional
Notes
- Cashews can be substituted with raw sunflower seeds, pine nuts, or sliced and peeled almonds.
- Cholula is my go-to hot sauce.
- How I make pickled red onions is broken down in this recipe. I leave them whole on top of the salad but if you prefer a more even distribution of onion, feel free to chop them up first!
- I like a nice wide serving bowl for this so that every mouthful of the salad gets some dressing and some of the “toppings.”
- Vegan Worcestershire usually contains gluten in the form of soy sauce. To make this recipe gluten-free, substitute Tamari.
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 425°F.
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Start cooking the quinoa. In a small saucepan, combine the quinoa and vegetable stock. Bring to a boil and then simmer until all the liquid is absorbed and the little tails on the quinoa have popped out, about 15 minutes. Set aside to cool.
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While quinoa is cooking, start the Brussels sprouts. Place the brussels sprouts on a baking sheet. Drizzle the olive oil over the Brussels sprouts and season with onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Toss with your hands to coat. Spread the Brussels sprouts out into a single layer, all with the flat edge facing down.
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Roast the Brussels sprouts for 20 minutes, or until golden brown on the outside and tender. Set aside when done.
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While Brussels sprouts are roasting, make the dressing. In an upright blender, combine the cashews, garlic cloves, nutritional yeast, capers, lemon juice, olive oil, Dijon, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, water, salt, and pepper. Blend on high until completely smooth and creamy, about 1 minute. Check the dressing for seasoning (more salt, lemon, hot sauce etc), adjust, and set aside.
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Assemble the salad. In a large, wide serving bowl, combine the cooked quinoa, roasted Brussels sprouts, and cooked lentils. Give that a quick toss. Top this with big drizzles of the spicy caesar dressing. Then, finish with the pickled red onions, sun dried tomatoes, sunflower seeds, and herbs (if using). Top with freshly cracked black pepper and serve!
