Quinoa Lover's Salad

Doesn't this salad look amazing?  

It contains quinoa, fresh spinach, orange segments, chick peas and roasted beets making it a nutritional powerhouse of antioxidants and vitamins. In addition, quinoa and chick peas are high in protein making this salad a meal in a bowl. It's dressed in a light orange refreshing citrus dressing.

There is nothing like a hearty salad, especially when you may not feel like cooking. A salad like this could be a perfect lunch, light dinner or even a side to complement any entree.

This recipe was shared with me from my daughter in law's mother, Jeanette. We were invited  last Saturday to their beautiful home in upstate New York. Knowing that I am a vegetarian, Jeanette surprised me with this delicious salad. After one bite, I knew I would want to share it on my blog.

The homemade fresh roasted beets in the salad are exceptionally delicious. However, if you are in a hurry and want to able to throw this vegan salad together more quickly, you could use cooked beets from a jar or even roasted beets that I've seen beets in the refrigerator section of most supermarkets.

In addition, this vegan and gluten free salad lends itself to variations. You could add slivered almonds, pine nuts, avocado, etc. Jeanette found the recipe on a blog called the Gluten Free Goddass.

Ingredients:

3 cups  quinoa , cooked
2 raw beets, trimmed and quartered ( don't peel)  then roasted in the oven for 45 minutes till middle is soft, then when cool rub off skin.
Olive oil Sea salt to roast the beets
2 big handfuls of baby spinach leaves
1 cup drained rinsed chick peas
Sea salt and ground pepper, to taste

1 fresh orange, peeled, trimmed, cut into bite sized pieces

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Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375ºF to roast the beets

Cook quinoa according to the directions on the package and set aside

Roast the beets ( about 45 minutes)  - when done set aside to cool. When cool, rub off the skin . Cut beets into bite size pieces. 

Dressing: 
1/4 cup  olive oil
1/4 cup fresh squeezed orange juice
2 teaspoons organic gluten-free tamari sauce
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar or rice vinegar
1 tablespoon organic raw agave nectar or local honey
Combine all ingredients and whisk until smooth ; pour over salad and toss

Wash spinach

To assemble the salad, mix the warm quinoa, chick peas and spinach leaves in a large bowl.  Pour the dressing over the salad and toss. Add the beets and orange pieces without tossing  to keep the beets to from excessive bleeding ( everything will turn red if you overdo it)

                       


Try some of these other recipes that I  posted last July::


Basil Spinach Pesto




Cucumber Dill Dressing



Middle Eastern Lemonade


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Shared on Beth Fish Read's  Weekend Cooking - open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share: 

May be shared on some of the following blog carnivals:  Blog Carnivals

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