Quinoa Beet Salad
With a few superfood ingredients, this colorful Quinoa Beet Salad is an excellent choice for a healthy lifestyle!
Ingredients
SALAD
- 3 large beets (steamed, cooked or baked), skins removed and cubed into bite-sized pieces tips & tricks
- 1 cup quinoa, pre-soaked for at least 2 hours, rinsed and drained Footnote
- 2 cups water
- 3/4 tsp. ground Himalayan sea salt, or to taste and divided
- 3 cups lettuce (Romaine, butter or Spinach), torn into pieces
- 1/2 large English cucumber, peeled and quartered
- 3 medium mandarin oranges, peeled and segmented
- 1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
- 1/4 cup celery, chopped tips & tricks
- 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper, or to taste
- 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper, or to taste (I always use mixed peppercorns)
- 155 grams (5.5 oz.) goat cheese, crumbled and divided tips & tricks
VINAIGRETTE
- 1/4 cup grapeseed oil tips & tricks
- 2 tbsp. freshly squeezed orange juice tips & tricks
- 1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 tbsp. honey (substitute agave nectar) tips & tricks
- 1 tsp. orange zest
- 1 tsp. Dijon mustard
- 1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper, or more to taste
- 1/2 tsp. ground Himalayan sea salt, or to taste
- 1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper, or to taste (I always use mixed peppercorns)
- 2 tbsp. shallots, finely chopped *optional
Directions
SALAD
- After the beets are cooked, plunge them in an ice water bath until cool; remove the skins and cube into bite-sized pieces.
- In a medium saucepan, add drained quinoa, water (*see footnote) and ¼ tsp. salt; stir well. Bring the mixture to a boil, cover and reduce the heat to low; cook for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and let it sit for 5 to 8 minutes. Meanwhile, make the vinaigrette.
- Using a fork, fluff up the quinoa and let it cool further, uncovered.
- To assemble the salad; in a large bowl, add lettuce, cucumber, orange segments, walnuts, celery, and cooled quinoa. Toss gently and season with cayenne pepper, salt and freshly ground black pepper, toss again. Add beets and 5 oz. goat cheese. Drizzle with vinaigrette and toss again; add more vinaigrette as desired.
- When serving, sprinkle on the remaining ½ oz crumbled goat cheese.
VINAIGRETTE
- In a measuring cup or bowl, add grapeseed oil, orange juice, balsamic vinegar, honey, orange zest, Dijon mustard, cayenne, ½ tsp. salt, black pepper and shallots; whisk until well blended. Transfer to the fridge until needed.
Notes
Footnote: Soak your quinoa for at least 2 hours or overnight in a bowl filled with lukewarm water. Later on, drain the grains into a fine sieve and rinse thoroughly; allow to drain before cooking.