Roasted beet quinoa salad

Easy, beautiful salad that’s perfect to take to a brunch

All my friends host potluck events, so when I am invited I bring something that’s hearty enough to fill me up. Quinoa is perfect because it’s high in protein and cook in hurry. I brought this to a get-together hosted by my friend Peg, who follows a plant-based diet to keep herself cancer free. It got rave reviews.

It’s important to cook the carrots a bit, as the nutrients in carrots are only 3% bioavailable raw. Cooked with some healthy fat like olive oil, those nutrients become 33% bioavailable. You can use pre-cooked beets like those sold at Trader Joe’s, or use a steamer, pressure cooker, or roast them in the oven. The recipe time assumes the beets are already cooked, so plan accordingly.

Suitable for:

vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free, celiac, low sodium diets

Not recommended for:

paleo, migraine diets

You might also like:

Beet, blood orange, kumquat and quinoa salad from Cooking Light
Apple-curry quinoa salad from Lentil Breakdown
Balsamic quinoa salad from Wendy Polisi

Roasted beet quinoa salad

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Prep Time 15 mins

Cook Time 15 mins

Total Time 30 mins

Course Lunch

Cuisine American

Servings 8 servings

Ingredients

  

• 1 cup quinoa rinsed and drained
• 2 cups vegetable stock (low-sodium) or low-sodium chicken stock
• 1/4 tsp sea salt optional (omit for low-sodium diets)
• 4 beets roasted, steamed, or pressure cooked
• 3 stalks celery sliced
• 2 carrots colored, sliced, lightly cooked (microwave is fine)
• 1 tbsp olive oil (extra virgin) blood orange olive oil is killer in this
• 1/2 tbsp balsamic vinegar fig balsamic, white balsamic, or apple cider vinegar can be substituted

Instructions

 

• Rinse and drain quinoa in a saucepan with a tightly-fitting lid, Add the stock and sea salt if using.
• Bring to a boil, then turn down and simmer for 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and let sit about 10 minutes with the lid on.
• Meanwhile, quarter the beets, slice the celery and the carrots, and lightly cook the carrots in some water in the microwave (or steam them for 3 minutes).
• Fluff the quinoa with a fork, then toss all the ingredients in a serving bowl, drizzling with the oil and vinegar. Add some sea salt and freshly cracked pepper if desired.