Ready within 40 minutes, this hearty brussels sprouts quinoa and lentil salad is a super satiating salad for colder days. Itโs made with wholesome ingredients like roasted brussels sprouts, pickled red onions, quinoa, lentils, and sunflower seeds. Some components can be made ahead of time too. Filled with green veggies and a 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 favorite!
I wouldnโt blame you if you used this recipe for the spicy caesar dressing alone, which can be made up to 1 week in advance. Itโs the vegan Worcestershire that really makes a difference! I add a dash to pretty much every salad dressing I make these days. I use Lord Sandyโs brand. To make this gluten-free, substitute Tamari.
The prep for this salad involves cooking the quinoa on the stove top and roasting the Brussels sprouts in the oven. Youโll also quickly blend up your dressing. I generally always have pickled red onions on hand, so donโt include them in the prep steps. I share a recipe for them in my recipe for kale sweet potato salad though.
Hope you love this one! Itโs veggie-packed and wholesome. The sweet little pops of sun dried tomato on top are so lovely!
Roasted Brussels Sprouts, Quinoa & Lentil Salad with Spicy Caesar Dressing
Ingredients
Quinoa & Brussels Sprouts
- ยฝ cup quinoa, rinsed well and drained
- 1 cup vegetable stock
- 1 lb (454 grams) brussels sprouts, halved
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ยฝ teaspoon onion powder
- ยฝ teaspoon garlic powder
- sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste
Spicy Caesar Dressing
- ยฝ cup raw cashews soaked for at least 2 hours and drained
- 3 cloves garlic, peeled
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1 tablespoon capers
- 1 ยฝ tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon vegan worcestershire sauce
- 1-2 teaspoons hot sauce of choice
- โ cup water
- sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste
Assembly
- 1 ยฝ cups cooked lentils (from a 15oz/443ml can), rinsed and drained
- โ cup pickled red onions
- ยผ cup oil-packed sun dried tomatoes, finely chopped
- 3 tablespoons toasted sunflower seeds
- chopped parsley or chives, optional
Equipment
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 โtoppings.โ
- Vegan Worcestershire usually contains gluten in the form of soy sauce. To make this recipe gluten-free, substitute Tamari.
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425ยฐF.
- 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.
- 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.
- Roast the Brussels sprouts for 20 minutes, or until golden brown on the outside and tender. Set aside when done.
- 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.
- 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!
Excellent recipe! so hearty and filling.
Delicious!! Another favorite and easy, not time cosuming. I like it warm โฆ Thank you!
This looks super-delicious, but unclear if itโs a warm salad or a cold salad?
Would love to make as much ahead as possible, but not if itโs intended to be warm.
Any advice?
Hi Ellie,
It honestly works as both! Wonderful warm if youโre making it for dinner, but great as a make-ahead option for lunches.
-L
So good! Made this twice in one week.
This was delicious! Thanks!
Hi-Love the looks and thought behind all your recipes on Pinterest.I donโt see an option to print.What am I missing?
Hi Kristen,
When you scroll down to the recipe portion of any post on my site, right under the star rating, description, and recipe photo is a bar with text that says โprint recipeโ (above the prep time, cook time etc). Let me know if youโre still having trouble finding it.
-L
All my favourite things are in this salad; I am going to make this, pronto! I donโt have cashews at present, so in the spirit of working with what Iโve got, would I be able to use tahini for the creamy component of the dressing instead and if so, would I sub the same amount as the cashews called for in the recipe?
Thank you!
Hi Monica! I would start with 1/4 cup of tahini, blend the whole thing up, and then see if you need a bit more from there :)
-L
Such a perfect healthy meal! I made a couple modifications for personal preference (kale instead of brussels and pepitas instead of sunflower seeds), but it still turned out great! Came together super quickly too. Already looking forward to my packed lunches this week :)
Amazing. Simply amazing.
You are hands down my favorite vegan recipe source. This salad does not disappoint! I made a few substitutions based on what I had โ toasted pine nuts instead of sunflower seeds, dried cherries instead of sun dried tomatoes, pickles instead of capers. I just realized I forgot the oil in the dressing, but Iโm not missing it. DELICIOUS!!
How can I use frozen whole Brussels sprouts in this recipe?
Hi Decker,
I do not recommend using frozen brussels sprouts for this recipe. They donโt seem to crisp up in the oven like fresh ones do (likely because of the moisture from thawing). If the lack of crisp edges doesnโt bother you, you could thaw the frozen brussels spouts, cut them in half, towel them dry as much as you can, and then proceed with the recipe.
-L
You are amazing, Laura! Thank you so much for sharing all of this mouth watering content. I am definitely making this!
I very rarely comment on anything, but just wanted to pop in and say hi, since I bought your cookbook when it came out years ago and have been following you ever since. Most of my favorite go to recipes are from you, and I recommend your blog to everyone I meet who would like to start cooking more plant based. I always enjoy your food and the content you share.
Thank you again, and I hope you never stop, because your blog is a real treasure chest of tasty, comforting and not too complicated recipes
All the best
Gry from Oslo, Norway
Gry,
Thank you for taking the time to send this this kind message! Iโm so glad that youโre enjoying the recipes, both here and in my cookbook. Iโm also completely flattered that you recommend my site to folks trying plant-based eating. That makes my day!
Thanks again and be well,
Laura
This looks soooo delish. I think I can get two recipes from this because Iโm wondering if it would be good with napa cabbage as the main veggie. Question, so for the recipe as you have it, would you wait to dress it if youโre portioning out for weekday lunches?
Hi Nicole!
Youโve got it. Portion out the lentils, quinoa, brussels sprouts etc and keep the dressing separate until youโre ready to eat.
-L