Warm Quinoa Salad with a Ginger Scallion Dressing

In my last post I wrote about how I have been in a bit of a food rut lately and how I’ve been experimenting with different ways to make tofu. I am also pushing myself to play around more with different grains, so wanted to share this warm quinoa salad recipe. It is one of my favourite quinoa recipes, and it just happens to be egg-free, dairy-free, gluten-free, and nut-free, without tasting like you are missing out on anything. Serve it as a side dish or warm up the left overs for lunch, this is a satisfying dish thanks to the combination of protein-rich quinoa, delicious root veggies, and the slightly tangy ginger scallion dressing.

This salad is really straight forward to make –

1. Cook the quinoa and set aside.
2. Roast the vegetables, and when ready toss them into the quinoa.
3. Combine the chopped scallions (green onions), olive oil, balsamic vinaigrette, soy sauce, and grated ginger root to make the dressing, and add it to the dish.
4. Serve the salad warm, and garnish with chopped coriander before serving.

Ready to try it? Here’s my adaptation of a recipe I found on Chow.com. Allergic to soy or gluten? Try this soy sauce substitute.

Warm Quinoa Salad with Roast Root Vegetables and Ginger Scallion Dressing

 

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Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

30 mins

Total time

45 mins

 

This warm quinoa salad, boasting roasted root vegetables and a tangy ginger scallion dressing is not just delicious but is also vegan, gluten-free, and nut-free.

Author: Accidentally Crunchy

Recipe type: Side Dish

Serves: 6-8 servings

Ingredients

• 2 medium sweet potatoes (peeled and cut into ½ inch cubes)
• 1 large white potato (peeled and cut into ½ inch cubes)
• 1 large carrot (peeled and cut into ½ inch cubes)
• 1 cup of mushrooms (cut into cubes)
• 3 Tbsp olive oil
• ½ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp ground black pepper
• 1¼ cups quinoa
• 1 bunch of scallions thinly sliced (white and light green parts only)
• 3 Tbsps olive oil
• 3 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 2 Tbsp peeled and finely chopped ginger root
• 2 Tbsp soy sauce
• 2 Tsp toasted sesame oil
• ¼ cup coriander (coarsely chopped)

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 180 C.
2. Put the sweet potatoes, white potatoes, carrots and mushrooms in a large bowl, and toss with the oil, salt and pepper.
3. Arrange the vegetables evenly on a baking sheet and set the bowl aside (don't clean it).
4. Roast the vegetables in the oven for 20-25 minutes, until they are cooked through and have started to brown. Turn them every 5 minutes or so to prevent them from sticking and so that they cook evenly.
5. To cook the quinoa, place it in a saucepan and cover it with 2-3 inches of cold water. Season with salt.
6. Bring the water to a boil and then reduce the heat to medium-low and let the quinoa continue to simmer, uncovered until the quinoa turns translucent and the white curl of the outer casing is visible (about 15 minutes). All of the water should cook off in the process, but if not then you can drain it with a strainer.
7. To prepare the dressing, place all the remaining ingredients except the coriander (olive oil, balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, ginger and scallions) in the bowl you set aside from the vegetables and whisk them with a fork to combine.
8. When the quinoa is ready add it to the bowl with the dressing together with the root vegetables and toss to combine.
9. Serve warm garnished with the chopped corriander.

Notes

If you are making this dish gluten free, be sure to check that the soy sauce you are using is certified gluten free, as it is quite often gluten-contaminated.

Nutrition Information

Serving size: ⅛th of recipe Calories: 275.5g Fat: 13.08g Carbohydrates: 34.46g Sugar: 5.89g Sodium: 409.65mg Fiber: 4.65g Protein: 5.87g

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