The last time I was in Oaxaca, Julia and I went to Las Quince Letras, a restaurant that had been on my radar for a while. This restaurant is owned by a famous local Chef, Celia Florián. Recently bestowed with the prestigious Bib Gourmand award, we were eager to try it. Las Quince Letras is famous for its moles (which of course we tried!) but we were pleasantly surprised to find fresh and different salads on the menu. We went there late, so we did not want to have a heavy meal, and the lentil and quinoa salad we tried was out of this world.
I am recreating this salad purely from memory, and even though I don’t think it’s exactly like the one we ate there, it is still pretty delicious and even better, it’s good for you! Lentils and quinoa are both powerhouses of nutrition, so there’s no way to go wrong with this one. Make a batch and have it during the week, it is really flavourful!
A couple of notes: this salad has a fair bit of prep because you have to cook both the lentils and quinoa, but if you’re pressed for time, use canned lentils. Rather than cooking only 1/3 cup of quinoa for this recipe, go ahead and cook a full cup and have some leftovers for the week. I have trouble sourcing jícama where I live, so I used Asian pear, which has a similar taste and texture. If you are lucky to find jícama, use that instead.
Ensalada de Lentejas con Quinoa (inspirada en Las Quince Letras, Oaxaca)
Green Lentil Salad with Quinoa
3/4 cup French green lentils
1/2 Tbsp kosher salt
1 litre water
1 litre vegetable or chicken broth, or water
1/3 cup quinoa
2/3 cup vegetable or chicken broth, or water
1/4 tsp salt, or to taste
1/3 cup freshly squeezed mandarine or orange juice
3-4 Tbsp apple cider vinegar or lime juice (to taste)
1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
Salt and pepper to taste
1/3 cup avocado oil
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced
1 cup diced jicama or Asian pear
1 cup grated carrot
1/3 cup minced red onion
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1/3 cup toasted sunflower seeds
In large bowl, place lentils and kosher salt. Add 1 litre water, cover and let rest on the counter for at least 3 hours and up to 8.
Drain and place in a saucepan with enough water or broth to cover by 2 inches. Add 1/2 tsp salt and bring to a boil. Turn heat down and simmer, partially covered, 25-35 minutes, until lentils are tender but still firm (cooking time will depend on the length of time you soaked the lentils). Drain and spread on a sheet pan to cool completely.
While lentils are cooking, rinse quinoa in a sieve for a few minutes, then place in another small saucepan with broth and salt. Bring to a boil, then turn down temperature to a simmer. Cook, covered, for 15-18 minutes, until liquid has been absorbed and quinoa is tender. Spread on a sheet pan to cool completely.
To make the salad start with the dressing: In large salad bowl, place mandarine juice, apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard and salt and pepper to taste. Whisk to dissolve the salt and start adding the oils in a thin stream while continuously whisking to emulsify. Taste and adjust seasoning, it should be assertive.
Add cooled lentils, quinoa, tomatoes, jícama, carrots, red onion, cilantro and sunflower seeds. Toss to make sure dressing is distributed and enjoy.
Serves 8-10.