This simple, natural gluten free recipe for a satisfying, tasty red lentil-quinoa eggplant salad stack is full of all the things a balanced, nutritious meal requires: vitamins, fiber, carbohydrates, and protein.
Quinoa is a delicious whole "grain" that is easy to digest, full of high quality complete protein, fiber, and magnesium. Nutritionally mighty lentils are a very good source of cholesterol-lowering fiber and also provide good amounts of protein and minerals.
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- Put the quinoa in a sieve and rinse in cold water. Cook the quinoa in a pot of boiling water for 10-15 minutes until tender, drain well, then set aside to cool.
- Rinse and drain the red lentils. Pop them in a pot with 1 cup of water. Bring to the boil, then turn down and simmer for about 5 minutes until tender yet firm.
- Heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Spray the eggplant with olive oil spray. Add half the eggplant to the pan and cook for 6 minutes each side or until tender and golden. Repeat with remaining eggplant.
- In a bowl, place the quinoa, red lentils, tomato, red onion, and spring onions in a bowl. Drizzle over the balsamic vinegar and the oil. Season with salt and pepper. Toss to combine.
- Layer the eggplant slices with lentil-quinoa mixture, finishing with a slice of eggplant. Top with some salad leaves. Drizzle over some balsamic cream over to serve.
79 comments:
Hi Angie, very impressive creation. You're very good, excellent! Love your presentation.
Have a wonderful weekend,regards.
Amelia
Look delicious and beautiful Angie!
lovely presentation, I love aubergine , but sadly getting the boys to eat is is a another. have a nice weekend
Healthy, beautiful and no doubt delicious and filling :) Really elegantly plated :D
Og wow Angie what a great idea, So much goodness!
A fantastic dish and idea!
Cheers,
Rosa
These are so pretty, Angie! I love eggplants and they sound perfect with the quinoa, tomatoes and red lentils! So healthy and delicious!
healthy Stack Angie.. Nice flavour also well balanced
Angie I love this recipe and that you've stacked this. Stacking or making a tower just seems to add that extra pizazz to a recipe. When it's this healthy it makes it even that much better.
I'm going to have to seek out that balsamic cream, I've never seen it here. Who makes it?
Looks like a delicious tower of goodies. Would love to try this.
This is so pretty, and very spring. Love it!
I was just roasting eggplant last week and enjoying every bite. This is such a great idea - healthy, tasty, and lovely presentation. I can have seconds, right? ; )
A very pretty presentation Angie! I love eggplant and we hope to grow some this year in our garden. Love the combo of lentils and quinoa - perfect! Have a great weekend.
Great idea, lovely dish. It looks delicious :)
Dear Angie, It is so good to be back and visiting with my friends again!
This recipe looks so delicious as well as elegant.
Have a beautiful weekend. xoxo Catherine
Angie, This looks absolutely delicious and a lovely feast for your eyes! I love eggplant!
this looks amazing
OMG! I'm on my way to the gym mouthwatering so hard... Looks delicious!
This is one salad that I've never seen before. Learning something new from you again, Angie!
Aubergine is a year round staple in my kitchen. With summer fast upon us, this will pair nicely with fresh garden tomatoes. You've done it again.
Gina
Wow yummy and healthy
Those look fantastic, Angie. I'd love to try them!
LOL, you just combined 3 ingredients that my hubby would never touch! But I love them all---so this combination of quinoa, eggplant and lentils would be for me alone!!!
Look absolutely wonderful and delicious
This is so pretty, would love to try this out.
Lovely dish this one...beautiful and refreshing.
Now I know how I'm going to have to prepare my eggplants once they come into season this summer! So lovely.
looks like a precarious (and most delicious) stack!!
A lovely stack! A lovely appetizing recipe too!
I am a big fan of aubergines! MMMMMM! ��
What a beautiful, healthy entree Angie! I love eggplant!
Eggplant one of my favorite vegetables. You always make healthful dishes look so beautiful. Have a great week, Angie. :)
Very good for a dinner party this dish! I love red lentils and aubergines together. Buonissimo!
Mmmm, my mom always makes eggplant stacks with lots of garlic and tomato slices. I love this version with lentils and quinoa.
My mom sometimes makes lentil curry with strips of aubergine in it - so I love the combo of the two! Your stacks sounds pretty amazing, Angie!
These stacks look perfect! And right up my alley - so many of my favorites with the eggplant, lentils and quinoa!
Beautiful salad. I love all the healthy ingredients. Lentils are one of my favorites.
Une belle assiette bien gourmande et joliment présentée
bonne soirée
Vegetarian goodness stacks; sounds and looks mouthwatering!
Very nice presentation-))) I love your recipe as well!!
This looks like something from a gourmet kitchen. I wish I could have a few of those stacks for dinner tonight! They look wonderful.
Simply stunning!
I have such a weakness for eggplant, Angie! And I'm always searching for new ways to prepare them. I just love these beautiful stacks! : )
Such a great idea Angie!! Bet quinoa tastes great with aubergine!
I want to sit outside near the garden and eat this Angie! Beautiful and delicious!
What a beautiful stack Angie and a new way to present red lentils! I love it!
Aubergines are on offer at my local market at the moment, and I bought them with the intention of searching out some recipes on blogs, and then you post this! Looks fantastic, Might drizzle it with some garlic olive oil as I'm thinking that might go quite nicely. Thanks Angie!
This looks amazingly tasty! YUM
I love aubergine and usually stir-fry it with some ground fatty pork , yeah , not healthy at all :D I love the look of this summery salad , very appetizing and I bet it tastes as gorgeous as it looks !
You are the most creative cook I know...these look like something I'd find at the fanciest restaurant in town!
They look SO pretty & tasty too!
This is so creative Angie...I love how you presented this dish...so pretty and it sure looks tasty.
Have a great week :)
Nutritious and very healthy eggplant dish made so creatively with quinoa and lentils.
I love this combo. I could eat a few stacks happily. I've not cooked red lentils in this way, I'm gonna try it. It's awesome.
Love eggplant, eat it all the time. Quinoa, not so much. But I think I can make this dish with lentils alone and be very satisfied. Such a great presentation, Angie. The first bite would be fun.
Beautiful presentation! Love this dish, Angie!
Angie, what an elegant dish and a great use of aubergine. And I love lentils too, a great full meal on this plate. Just gorgeous.
wow now that's a fun way to eat eggplants! Love the recipe Angie!
I love every ingredient in these beautiful stacks, Angie! What a lovely presentation that shows good food doesn't have to be boring.
Eggplants are coming into season here soon. Definitely a summer vegetable. Your stacks look delightful.
Velva
I could eat eggplant everyday....this reminds me of a beautiful main I had at a restaurant in Vancouver. I have to try making this!
I'd love a stack of this beautifully presented eggplant with quinoa and lentils - what a wonderful combination!
What an adorable looking aubergine! Looks so inviting and sounds fun to make! :)
This looks fantastic, Angie! Awesome combination and pictures and so beautiful.... well done as always!
You create the most amazing dishes. This is a perfect Mother's Day recipe. The presentation is so pretty.
Looks so pretty and delicious!
I have WAY too much quinoa in my pantry---this looks like a yummy way to eat it up :)
Fantastic photos!!! You're very gifted photographer and cook...shoot! I don't have a egg plant right now...But this is a must try recipe!
ha ha ha...I like no-nonsense George Carlin. He was really a wise guy!
What a great way to use aubergines, such a pretty salad.
Gorgeous and healthy - love it!!! This is also going onto my "to cook" list.
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