Lentil Orzo Salad

We can all agree that the easiest way to fill your plate and your stomach is with good servings or proteins and whole grains. A refreshing summer bowl with fresh veggies, beans or lentils and some grain is a quick option to get a balanced meal that is delicious, enjoyable as well as filling. Veggies, lentils and grains (whole grain or whole grain pasta) all have fiber and that keeps you full.

I use either orzo(pasta) or farro in the bowl. Farro is a grain that is especially protein and fiber-packed meaning it keeps you full especially long. This makes it the perfect add-in for this vegan lentil salad.

In this recipe, we add tomatoes, onion and red bell pepper and toss everything with a fusion oregano lemon chipotle pepper vinaigrette to create a colorful wholesome summer salad that is perfect for picnics and potlucks.

This post when it went out was written with farro while the pictures have orzo. I developed and wrote the recipe with Orzo in mind. I was multitasking and researching farro at the time and the recipe got written with farro. The next day I grabbed Orzo and made it. Tweaked the dressing and sent it off to my editor to write the post. The pictures were edited and my assistant added them to the post! I am glad you all caught the goof! But either option works in the salad. Farro will be chewier and more filling. Orzo will be lighter.

How to cook Orzo

Bring 3 cups water to a boil. Add salt and herbs if needed. Add 1 cup orzo and cook for 9-11 minutes or until tender to preference. Stir occasionally. Drain any excess liquid

How to cook farro?

Like most grains, farro is foolproof to cook. Similar to lentils and rice, the farro should be soaked for at least 30 minutes before cooking. If you’re planning ahead and want to shorten the total cook time, soak your farro overnight.

To prepare it, bring 2 1/2 or three cups of water to a boil. Add one cup of dry farro and your selected herbs or vegetables, cover, and let simmer. For farro that was soaked overnight, simmer the grains for 10 to 15 minutes until al dente. If the farro hasn’t been soaked, simmer for 20 to 30 minutes

Why you’ll love this lentil salad!

• it’s perfect for summer
• It is versatile. fill it up in lettuce cups or sandwiches or serve as is
• can be easily made glutenfree
• its Nutfree and Soyfree
• its protein packed with the lentils and farro
• the dressing uses everyday ingredients and is so delicious

More hearty vegan salads:

• Barbecue Lentil Farro Cauliflower Bake
• Curried Sweet Potato Lentil Salad
• Falafel Spice Lentil Salad Sandwich
• Easy Summer Pasta Salad with Grilled Vegetables
• Buffalo Chickpea salad sandwich
• Cold Soba noodle salad

more

Ingredients:

• lentils: I use canned lentils to keep prep time short but you can cook them yourself (see tips)
• Cooked Orzo pasta or cooked farro: there are three common varieties of farro that you might spot in the grocery store: Einkorn a.k.a. farro piccolo, Emmer a.k.a. farro medio or Spelt a.k.a. farro grande. Check above for cooking instructions
• veggies: chopped cucumber, roasted red pepper, chopped tomato, chopped onion and chopped cilantro or parsley
• For the dressing, we mix virgin olive oil with lemon juice, chipotle pepper flakes, cumin, garlic clove,  salt, black pepper
  and dried oregano
• fresh herbs: cilantro and/or parsley

Tips:

• You can add the salad to lettuce leaves, baby greens or to a sandwich. You can also add some cooked chickpeas or other cooked beans of your choice to make it even more hearty.
• Increase the herbs and the dressing if increasing the volume of the ingredients.
• Other veggies you could add here include corn, chopped celery or grated carrots. Got leftover oven roasted veggies? Mix them in!
• No canned lentils? No problem. To make one and a half cups of lentils, you need to soak 3/4 cup of dried lentils for 10 minutes and drain. Pressure cook for 11 to 12 minutes in one and a half cups of water. When the pressure releases naturally, open the lid and drain the lentils. Add salt if you like your lentils salted.
• Make it Glutenfree: use cooked Glutenfree grain like quinoa or millet or sorghum or use Glutenfree orzo or other short pasta

How to make vegan Lentil Orzo Salad:

Cook the lentils if you haven’t already. See notes

Cook the orzo or farro according to the instructions on the package.

Chop the veggies and add all of the salad ingredients to a large bowl.

Make the dressing by adding all the ingredients to a small bowl. Mix it really well.

Add the dressing all over the salad ingredients and toss well. Taste and adjust salt and flavor.

Dress with a little bit more fresh pepper or pepper flakes and fresh herbs. Serve as a summer salad.

Storage

To make ahead, Prep the ingredients and dressing and keep separate until ready to serve. Store in the fridge for upto 4 days.