This quinoa salad has a terrific crunch from the nuts and seeds, and peppery flavour from the radishes. Its a great way to use both dried fruit and fresh vegetables.
Directions for: Colourful Quinoa Salad
Ingredients
cup (75 mL) raw unsalted sunflower seeds
cup (75 mL) raw unsalted pumpkin seeds
2 cups (500 mL) no-salt-added vegetable broth or water
1 tsp (5 mL) sea salt, divided
1 cup (250 mL) quinoa, rinsed
cup (60 mL) fresh lime juice
cup (60 mL) fresh lemon juice
cup (75 mL) extra virgin olive oil
1 cup (250 mL) chopped fresh cilantro
cup (125 mL) thinly sliced fresh chives
14 oz (410 mL) can no-salt added aduki beans, drained and rinsed
4 radishes, diced
1 red pepper, diced
1 carrot, grated
cup (125 mL) dried cranberries
Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 375F (190C).
2. Spread the seeds on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Toast in the oven for 8 minutes, or until golden brown. Pour them into the bowl and set aside to cool.
3. In a saucepan over high heat, bring broth, 1/2 tsp (2 mL) of salt and quinoa to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 15 minutes, or until all of the water has been absorbed. Let stand for 5 minutes and fluff with a fork. Transfer cooked quinoa to a large bowl.
4. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine the lime and lemon juice, oil, cilantro, chives, and remaining tsp (2 mL) salt. Whisk well. Pour on top of quinoa. Stir to combine.
5. Add the toasted seeds, aduki beans, radishes, red pepper, carrots and dried cranberries to the quinoa. Mix well and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes.
6. Taste for seasonings and add more salt if needed.
Tips and Substitutions
NUTRIENTS PER SERVING 1 CUP (250 ML) SALAD
400 calories, 22 g fat, 3 g saturated fat, 597 mg sodium, 42 g
carbohydrates, 7 g fibre, 9 g sugars, 12 g protein. Very high in fibre.
Excellent source of vitamin A, vitamin C, folate, magnesium and iron.
Good source of vitamin B6 and zinc.
Tip: Quinoa is naturally coated with a bitter substance called saponin, which protects it from birds and critters. Rinse off the saponin to remove the bitter taste. Use a fine mesh strainer to rinse your quinoa; it will fall through the holes in a regular strainer. Hold under cold running water for 3 minutes or until there are no more bubbles and the water runs clear.
Source and Credits
Recipe courtesy of Nettie Cronish and Cara Rosenbloom, RD,Nourish: Whole Food Recipes featuring Seeds, Nuts, & Beans 2015 Whitecap Books
See more: Beans, Fruit, GCC Spring, GCC vegetarian, Nuts, Salad, Spring, Vegetables, Vegetarian