What’s so handy about this salad is that it’s very versatile, use this recipe as a guideline only. If you don’t have any ingredient to hand then use up what you have at home. It stores really well and can be brought to work for lunch with some rocket or lettuce, maybe some leftover chicken mixed through or some flaked cooked salmon.
How to cook the quinoa
To make quinoa salad, you’ll want to cook your quinoa first. Rinse your quinoa under cold water to remove saponin, which makes unrinsed quinoa taste bitter. Then, add the rinsed quinoa to a saucepan and water or vegetable stock (I use 2 parts water to 1 part quinoa to cook it). Cook the quinoa uncovered until the liquid is absorbed, about 10 to 15 minutes.
Set aside the saucepan, and let the quinoa steam and fluff up. Then, fluff it with a fork and allow it to cool a bit.
Tip: You could also cheat and use pre-cooked quinoa if you are in a hurry. Merchant Gourmet Red & White Quinoa which you will find in Tesco for example has just a little extra virgin olive oil and water added.
While the quinoa cools, prepare the rest of the salad.
Make the salad dressing in a small bowl and whisk everything together. Then add the cooled quinoa and all of the remaining salad ingredients to a big bowl.
Drizzle the dressing over everything and give it all a good toss.
This quinoa salad lasts in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days.
For the Salad
1 cup dried quinoa
1 can chickpeas or black beans
Half a cucumber, diced
1 medium pepper, chopped
Half a red onion finely chopped or bunch of spring onions
1 cup additional grated or chopped veg like tomatoes, carrots, finely chopped broccoli, optional
1/2 cup (65g) nuts and seeds like walnuts, pumpkin or sunflower seeds
1/4 cup (35g) dried fruit such as cranberries or fresh blueberries
A block of feta cheese chopped or crumbled
1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh herbs like fresh parsley, coriander, basil, dill or mint or mixture of any of the above
Zest of a lemon
For the Dressing
1/4 cup (60ml) extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup (60ml) apple cider vinegar
Juice of a lemon
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon honey or maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more to taste
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
Cook Quinoa
Place quinoa in a sieve and rinse thoroughly under cold running water for about a minute and then allow to drain. Gently shake the quinoa to remove any extra water after rinsing.
Add the rinsed quinoa and 2 cups of water to a medium saucepan.
Place the saucepan over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, so it’s at a gentle simmer, and cook uncovered until the quinoa absorbs all the liquid, 10 to 15.
Remove the pan from heat, cover, and let it rest for 5 minutes. Then, uncover and fluff the quinoa with a fork. Allow the quinoa to cool slightly before using in your salad.
Assemble the Salad
In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, mustard, honey (or maple syrup), salt, and pepper until well combined.
Mix the cooled quinoa, chickpeas/black beans, cucumber, pepper and whatever extra veg you are using, nuts, seeds, dried fruit, crumbled feta and herbs in a large bowl.
Pour the dressing over the salad and toss until everything is well coated. Taste the salad and add more salt and pepper if needed.
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