Quinoa Salad

Quinoa Salad with Roasted Baby Carrots

Nadaa Taiyab Lunch, Recipes Leave a Comment

Quinoa makes for a filling meal all on its own, but pair it with some roasted carrots and an elegant citrus-cilantro dressing, and you’ve got a healthy, sophisticated option for lunch or dinner.

(For tips on cooking quinoa, check out our how-to post.)

This recipe comes to us from Jackie Pomeroy, who used as her inspiration a recipe from My Kitchen Rules.

 

Quinoa Salad with Roasted Baby Carrots

  • Preparation time: 30 mins
  • Cooking time: 40 mins
  • Serves: 4

Cilantro Dressing

  • 2 eschallots, chopped, or ¼ large red onion
  • juice of 1 lemon
  • 1 tsp ground cumin (or 2 tsp cumin seeds)
  • 9 oz Greek style yoghurt, strained
  • ½ tsp chili flakes
  • 1 cup chopped mint
  • 1 cup chopped cilantro

Quinoa, Carrot and Cumin Salad

  • 12 baby carrots, trimmed
  • 14 oz can chickpeas, drained
  • 2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
  • 4 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tbs lemon juice
  • 1 cup quinoa
  • 1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted

 

  • Bring stock to a boil. Add quinoa. Cover and simmer until tender. Drain. Cool.
  • Place carrots and chickpeas on separate oven trays. Drizzle with oil and season with salt & pepper. Roast for 20 minutes or until carrots are barely tender.
  • To make dressing, process eschallots (or grate them on a hand grater) and juice to form a smooth paste. Transfer to a bowl.
  • Toast ground cumin (or cumin seeds) in a small frying pan until fragrant. Add ground cumin to eschallot mixture with yogurt, chili, mint, and cilantro. Stir to combine.
  • Combine roasted carrots & chickpeas, quinoa, and all remaining ingredients in a large bowl. Add dressing. Toss to combine.

This recipe, while a bit more involved than others, is wonderful for its complex mix of flavors (and, of course, you can always prepare quinoa in advance, cutting down prep time). Give it a try and let us know what you think!

FacebookTwitterPinterestEvernote
Nadaa TaiyabQuinoa Salad with Roasted Baby Carrots