Quinoa Salad with Sweet Potato and Greens

Quinoa can be a little bland on its own.  So we’ve added some turmeric and cumin to this quinoa salad to spice it up a little.

The spices blend beautifully with the sweet potato and cranberries, giving the salad a spicy sweet flavor.

Add some greens for color and crunch and you have a salad brimming with health.  Any greens can be used, simply use whatever is handy.

Preparation time:  20 minutes
Cooking time:  25-30 minutes
Serves 4 – 6

Ingredients

   500 g / 1 lb orange sweet potato
   ¼ cup olive oil
   1 cup quinoa
   ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
   1 teaspoon ground cumin
   250 g / 9 oz broccoli
   250 g / 9 oz green baby beans
   ½ dried cranberries
   1/3 cup chopped mixed herbs
   2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
   1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

How to Make

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 200°C / 400°F.

Step 2

Peel and cut the sweet potato into bite-sized pieces and place on a large baking tray lined with baking paper. Drizzle over 1 tablespoon of the olive oil then season with salt and pepper.    Bake in the oven for 25 – 30 minutes or until they are golden and tender.

Step 3

Meanwhile, put the quinoa, turmeric, cumin and 2 cups water in a medium saucepan.   Bring to the boil, reduce the heat to low and leave to simmer for 12 minutes or until the water is absorbed.   The quinoa should be soft and fluffy at this stage.  Remove from the heat and set aside to cool slightly.

Step 4

Now it’s time to prepare the rest of the vegetables.   Chop the broccoli into florets and cut the beans into smaller sized lengths. To blanch your veggies first bring a pot of water to the boil.  Then add your veggies and cook for 1 to 1 ½ minutes or until they’re tender but still crisp.  Drain then drop the vegetables into a separate bowl of cold water for 20 – 30 seconds.  This halts the cooking process.

Step 5

Put the cooked quinoa, sweet potato, blanched vegetables, cranberries and herbs in a large bowl. 

Add the dressing and toss the salad

To make the Dressing.

Whisk together the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil , the orange juice and white wine vinegar. 

Variations

Other vegetables which would be great in this salad are:

   Asparagus
   Sugar Snap Peas
   Cauliflower