Enter: My Favourite Quinoa Salad!
This is a reader-favourite recipe included by popular demand in my debut cookbookDinner!
Quinoa Salad
Im not going to lie to you.
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Its not that I dislike quinoa as such.
In fact, when cooked well (psst, toasting it certainly elevates it to loftier heights!
), Ill happily scoff it down plain, just like I do rice.
want tonotfollow the trend.
Anyway, I finally grew up.
And this is The One!
Call it a fusion salad, call it a mash-up if you like.
Whatever you call it, this Asian-inflected salad has itallgoing on!
Tri-colour quinoa is simply a mix of red, black and white quinoas.
Both black and red quinoa have slightly more flavour than white quinoa;
Vegetables No newcomers here.
Wasabi peas are dried peas flavoured with wasabi, that make delicious snacks.
Regular readers know I always include a treat in salads, for textural interest and deliciousness.
Its the cherry on top!
They can usually be found in the Asian section of everyday grocery stores theyre very popular these days!
Sometimes theyre even in the general snack aisle!
of mayonnaise in the dressing, hear me out!
First, theres only 2 1/2 tbsp.
So if you skip the mayo, youll need to substitute with more oil.
Everybody knows its the best mayonnaise around!
Rice vinegar Less sharp than most Western vinegars.
Substitute with cider vinegar, sherry vinegar or champagne vinegar;
Oil Any neutral-flavoured oil will do there.
Not dark soy, its too intense.
Fresh garlic and ginger Dont skip these!
They really add essential fresh punch to the dressing.
How to make this Quinoa Salad
Nothing groundbreaking here!!
Shake the dressing
Combine dressing ingredients in a container and shake!
I like to use a jar, for maximum emulsification!
(And useful storage )
2.
Cook the quinoa
Cheffy tip: toast the quinoa in the oven!
Its effortless, but makes it soooo nutty.
Its free flavour, dont skip it!
Spreadquinoa on a tray;
Toastin the oven for 15 minutes at 200C/390F.
It will smell deliciously nutty when its ready!
Rinsebriefly in a sieve or strainer.
To removequinoasnatural coating (called saponin), which can make it taste bitter or soapy.
In this step, the quinoa absorbs residual water and becomes beautifully fluffy.
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If you skip this step, the quinoa will be watery.
Coolquinoa completely before making the salad.
After all the preparing and chopping up all the vegetables, I always find this part so therapeutic!
Nothing tricky here, just throw it all into a (very!)
big bowl, pour over dressing then toss enthusiastically.
And Im not just saying enthusiastically to be cute.
To get everything mixed up properly, you better toss, toss, toss with gusto!
How to serve this Quinoa Salad
This is one of those salads I like to callmeal-worthy.
Its got:
Thatinterestfactor;
Its pretty should I have called it Rainbow Quinoa Salad?!
Its filling andkeepsyou full.
And;
Its totally more-ish.
Its an overused descriptor but there really is something about this salad that makes it highly addictive.
But Ill be impressed if you make this as a side for a quick midweek dinner.
Its got theoomphto stand on its own two feet and certainly a step up from a basic garden salad!
Nagi x
Watch how to make it
This recipe features in mydebut cookbook Dinner.
The book is mostly new recipes, but this is a reader favourite included by popular demand!
