Black Quinoa, Red Lentil and Green Asparagus Salad with Walnut Oil Vinaigrette

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Enjoy a delicious quinoa spring salad with lentil and asparagus. It's bursting with flavour thanks to pine nuts, walnut oil and raspberry vinegar. Good-quality vinegar and walnut oil make all the difference in this dressing. If you don't have black quinoa, regular white one will work just great.

Salad	Walnut Oil Vinaigrette
150 g Black quinoa, rinsed 150 g Red lentils, rinsed 400 g Green asparagus, woody ends trimmed, cut into 4cm pieces 50 g Pine nuts, roasted Fennel fronds, roughly chopped	3 tbsp Walnut oil 2 tbsp Raspberry vinegar 1 tsp Maple syrup Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Combine 300 ml water and rinsed quinoa in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 12-15 minutes or until the liquid is absorbed. Transfer to a large bowl. Set aside to cool.
   
2. In another saucepan, fill in 450 ml water and bring to the boil. Add lentils, asparagus and return to the boil and simmer for 2-3 minutes until lentils are slightly softened and asparagus tender. Be careful not to cook too long, as you the lentils to be al dente and asparagus bright green. Drain and rinse in cold water.
   
3. Combine all the ingredients for the dressing, stirring with a whisk until well-blended.
   
4. Place cooked quinoa, lentils, asparagus, fennel fronds and half of the roasted pine nuts in a bowl. Add in vinaigrette and toss until well combined. Transfer to a large serving plate and sprinkle the rest of pine nuts over.

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