Deciding that more ‘pulse based’ salads were needed, I have been experimenting with quinoa. So far, I have been offering quinoa as a second salad, served beside a lettuce based, green one. Yotam Ottolenghi describes it well, ‘The striking texture is light, sandy and almost crunchy’ and, again, ‘the mild nutty flavour is a wonderful base for other prominent flavours’. In other words use quinoa as a base. I had a good introduction to quinoa salad through Anna Jones in A Modern Way to Cook. The recipe inspired by her sister for a herbed quinoa salad remains a template.
Common to all recipes is lemon juice. Anna Jones cuts an unwaxed lemon in half and cooks this in with the quinoa, squeezing out the juice at the end when it is cool enough to handle. Alternatively, lemon zest can be cooked in with the quinoa and the juice added later.
Quinoa comes in white, red and black. Red and black are the more robust varieties. Its origins are in South America but is now also grown elsewhere. I give three salads based on recipes by Yotam Ottolenghi, Anna Jones and Mindy Fox. I am also finding that, with a rummage through the vegetable drawer in the fridge, there are always the ingredients for a tasty quinoa dish to hand.
For all the salads:
Pour 150-200g quinoa (black white, red or mixed, your choice) into a saucepan of boiling water, add lemon or lime zest if you want, and simmer for 10-15 minutes. Taste, it should still have some bite. Remove from the heat, drain through a fine sieve and run under cold water. Shake to remove excess water.
Fennel and Broad Bean Quinoa Salad (YO)
3 fennel bulbs
Olive oil
1 tbsp granulated sugar
3 tbsp cider vinegar
2 lemons
300g podded broad beans, fresh or frozen
Small handful mint
Small handful coriander
Small handful dill
1 green chilli
2-3 limes
Salt
Thinly slice the fennel bubs and cook these on a medium heat in olive oil for 15-20 minutes until golden and soft. Add the sugar, cider vinegar and some salt. Cook, stirring, for a further two minutes.
Cook the broad beans in boiling water for a few minutes, Drain, refresh under cold water and remove the skins from the larger beans.
In a large bowl, mix the beans and fennel with the quinoa. Add the juice of two lemons, small handfuls of chopped mint, coriander and dill and a finely chopped green chilli. Season.
Add the juice of two or three limes (YO takes time and care to add chopped segments of lime from which the membrane has been removed) and a couple of tablespoons of olive oil.
Taste before serving and adjust seasoning if necessary.
Herbed Green Quinoa Salad (AJ)
2 unwaxed lemons
A bunch purple sprouting broccoli, stalks chopped, florets left whole
A handful frozen peas
Extra virgin olive oil
1 leek, washed, trimmed and finely sliced
3 handfuls young spinach or rocket, washed and shredded
Small bunch basil, stalks removed and chopped
Small bunch mint, stalks removed and chopped
2 tbsp roasted pumpkin seeds or pine nuts
2 tbsp roasted sesame seeds
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
150g feta
Cut one of the lemons in half and cook it along with the quinoa. For the last few minutes of cooking, put the broccoli and peas on top the quinoa and ‘steam’ them with the lid on. Drain of excess water.
Gently cook the sliced leek in olive oil for about 10 minutes until soft.
When cool, put the quinoa into a large bowl, add the leek, spinach or rocket and herbs. Squeeze over lemon juice and a couple of tablespoons of olive oil. Season and taste.
Quinoa, Raw Asparagus, Chicory and Parmesan Salad (MF)
I like Mindy Fox. In her book, The Perfectly Tossed Salad, she even tells us how quinoa should be pronounced (keen-wah). This salad takes care but looks and tastes wonderful.
35g pine nuts
225g asparagus
225g chicory
55g Parmesan or pecorino cheese
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1-2 tbsp lemon juice
Salt
Roast the pine nuts until they are a shade or two darker. Transfer to a plate to cool.
Shave the spears from the asparagus and cut off, but keep, the tips Preferably using a mandoline, slice the asparagus stems very thinly at an angle. Cut the chicory into thin strips.
In a large serving bowl, combine the quinoa, pine nuts, chicory, and asparagus strips and tips.
Carefully shave the Parmesan (a potato peeler works well) and stir in the lemon juice, olive oil and a good pinch of salt.
Taste before serving and adjust seasoning if necessary.