Crunchy Quinoa Salad
I just came back from spending a wonderful weekend cross-country skiing in Tahoe with some friends. I knew we would be out skiing most of the day on Saturday and Sunday so I wanted to make a salad that was going to provide sustained fuel for our long day kicking and gliding in the snow. By sustained fuel, I mean something that provides a balance of quality fats, quality protein and complex carbohydrates. This salad is packed with all three macronutrients. I also wanted something that was going make enough for the three of us for two days worth of lunch supplies.
Lorna Sass’ Crunchy Quinoa Salad fit the bill. This recipe is taken from Lorna Sass’ Complete Vegetarian Kitchen cookbook. I have adapted it by replacing couscous with quinoa, I just like it better. This dish tastes best when made a day ahead and refrigerated overnight, to give the flavors a chance to mingle. It’s a great recipe to prepare for a crowd. It yields about 6-8 servings.
Ingredients:
2 cups water or vegetable stock
¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 cup quinoa
1 large carrot, finely diced
1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored, and diced
1 cup cooked chickpeas
¼ cup minced chives or scallion greens
½ cup dried currants
¼ cup toasted sunflower seeds
¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice, approximately
½ teaspoon sea salt, or to taste
½ teaspoon lemon pepper, or to taste
Instructions:
1. In a 1½ or 2-quart saucepan, whisk together the water or vegetable broth, spices, and 2 tablespoons of oil. Bring the water to boil and whisk in the quinoa. Reduce heat to a low simmer and cook for about 10-15 minutes.
2. When quinoa is done, transfer to a large serving bowl and fluff with a fork until the quinoa releases all of its steam.
3. Toss in the carrot, apple, chickpeas, chives or scallion greens, currants, and toasted sunflower seeds.
4. In a small jar, combine remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil with the lemon juice, salt and lemon pepper. Pour over the quinoa and toss until thoroughly blended. Taste and add more salt or lemon juice, if needed. (The salad should taste lively and pleasantly puckery).
5. Chill for at least 4 hours. Bring to room temperature, toss, and adjust seasonings before serving.
Enjoy!