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
- 1 cup quinoa rinsed and drained
- 2 cups low-sodium vegetable stock 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 extra virgin olive oil blood orange olive oil is killer in this
- 1/2 tbsp balsamic vinegar fig balsamic, white balsamic, or apple cider vinegar can be substituted
- 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.
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That looks divine. I so love beets. It’s one of my favorites.
This does look good and we’ve got beets in the farm box. It’ll be perfect for one of our Friday Abstinence or Meatless Monday meals.
This is something I can eat and I LOVE quinoa. Thanks again, Stephanie! I can’t wait to try it.
Yum!