Ingredients
The Salad
- 1 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed
- Vegetable broth (optional) This is for cooking the quinoa in, as opposed to water; measured amount will depend on package instructions.
- 1 cup edamame The boiled + salted edamame you can purchase at Whole Foods is perfect for this; otherwise, prepare as per package instructions.
- 1/3 cup pepitas, toasted
- 2 medium-sized uncooked beets, peeled
- 1 medium-sized carrot, peeled and julienned or shredded
- 1 avocado, cubed
- 2 cups torn or roughly-chopped supergreens; spinach, chard, arugula, and/or kale You can use one of these or a mix.
The Vinaigrette
- 2 TBSP extra virgin olive oil
- 1 TBSP apple cider vinegar
- 2 TBSP pure maple syrup
- Juice of one small lemon
- 1 TBSP fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- Cracked black pepper, to taste
Instructions
The Quinoa
- Rinse the quinoa in a fine mesh strainer under running water for a minute or until water runs clear.
- Place quinoa in a medium-sized pot or sauce pan along with vegetable broth (or water) — amount may vary, so go by the package directions. Bring the mixture to a boil. Cover the pot, reduce heat to a low simmer, and let it go for 15 minutes.
- When the quinoa is cooked, remove it from the heat and let it rest, covered, for approx. 5 minutes, then fluff the quinoa with a fork. Set it aside.
- Toasting Pepitas
- Place the raw pepitas in a small skillet over medium-low heat. Stir often to keep them from burning. When ready, the pepitas will be fragrant and will turn a light golden color around the edges; a few may even make popping sounds. When done, remove from heat and let cool.
The Veggies
- Grate the beets and transfer to a large bowl. To avoid a red mess, do this at the sink and run the beet under cool water every so often while grating. You could also spiralize the beets using a spiralizer and simply chopping the ribbons into bite-sized pieces afterward.
- Peel the carrots, and either shred them or julienne them. Toss them into the bowl with the beets.
- Once the quinoa has cooled off a bit, add it to the bowl with the beets and carrots, along with the edamame, cubed avocado, greens and toasted pepitas.
The Viniagrette
- Place all of the ingredients into a small bowl and whisk until well blended and emulsified. You could also place the ingredients into a jar and shake until well mixed.
Assembly
- Drizzle the vinaigrette over the salad and toss to coat. Give it a taste, and season with S+P if needed. Serve.
Notes
** I wasn't sure if we'd have leftovers, so I tossed the greens in with the salad and dressing from the get-go. I can report that they've kept well in the fridge as leftovers!
** This recipe is adapted from Cookie + Kate!