My Favourite Quinoa Salad
User Reviews
5
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Prep Time
20 mins
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Cook Time
35 mins
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Quinoa resting & cooling
40 mins
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Servings
10 - 12 as a side
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Calories
177 kcal
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Course
Side Dish, Main Course, Salad
My Favourite Quinoa Salad
Description
The salad centers around cooked and cooled tri-colour quinoa, which lends a nutty taste and visual appeal. Fresh vegetables like cucumber, carrot, red cabbage, and bell pepper are finely prepared to blend textures from crisp to tender. Edamame adds protein and a slight sweetness, while coriander offers a herby note. The dressing combines soy sauce for saltiness, mirin and vinegar for acidity, sesame and canola oils for richness, mayonnaise for creaminess, and aromatics such as ginger and garlic for complexity.
The salad is served garnished with crushed wasabi peas, adding a crunchy, spicy element, and toasted sesame seeds, enhancing nuttiness. This quinoa salad works well as a side dish or a light meal, especially when made ahead as the flavors meld and the ingredients soften slightly without losing freshness.
Notes suggest various ingredient options like using different quinoa colors for varied flavors, tips for preparing vegetables, and alternatives for dressing ingredients. The salad keeps well refrigerated, and storing dressing and garnishes separately is recommended for make-ahead preparation.
Ingredients
Quinoa:
- 1 cup quinoa , tri-colour (or other colour, Note 1)
- 2 cups water
Salad:
- 1 cup cucumber , finely diced (Note 2)
- 1 carrot , medium, peeled and finely shredded (Note 3)
- 3 cups red cabbage , finely shredded (~1/4 small or 1/8 large cabbage)
- 2 green onions , finely sliced
- 250g/ 8oz cherry tomato small ones quartered, large ones cut into 6
- 1 cup edamame cooked per packet then cooled (Note 4, shelled
- 1 red bell pepper finely chopped
- 1/2 cup Coriander leaves finely chopped, aka cilantro leaves
Dressing:
- 5 tbsp soy sauce , light or all-purpose (Note 5)
- 2 tbsp mirin (Note 6)
- 2 tbsp rice wine vinegar (sub: cider, sherry or champagne vinegar)
- 2 tbsp sesame oil , toasted (Note 7)
- 2 1/2 tbsp canola oil or vegetable or grapeseed oil
- 2 1/2 tbsp mayonnaise sub whole-egg mayo such as Hellman's or S&W, Note 8, Kewpie brand
- 2 1/2 tsp sugar (white or brown)
- 2 tsp ginger , freshly grated
- 1 garlic crushed using garlic press or finely grated using microplane, clove
Garnishes:
- 1/3 cup wasabi peas , crushed (Note 9)
- 1 tbsp sesame seeds , toasted (Note 10)
Instructions
Cook quinoa:
- Toast for extra flavour: Preheat oven to 200°C/390°F (180° fan) Spread quinoa on a tray. Bake 15 minutes, stirring halfway, until it's lightly browned and smells nutty.
- Rinse: Transfer to fine mesh sieve or strainer. Rinse under running water for 10 seconds, shake off excess water well.
- Cook: Scrape into a medium saucepan. Add water, place lid on. Bring to simmer on medium heat, then lower stove to low and simmer for 15 minutes (or until all water is absorbed, tilt pot to check).
- Rest: Remove from stove (lid still on) and rest for 10 minutes.
- Fluff & cool: Remove lid, fluff quinoa with a fork and allow to fully cool before using. (Spread on a tray if you want to speed things up).
Salad:
- Dressing: Place ingredients in a jar and shake well.
- Toss salad! Place quinoa in a large bowl. Add all salad ingredients. Pour over dressing, toss very well.
- Garnish: Either transfer to a large serving platter or individual bowls. Sprinkle generously with crushed Wasabi Peas and sesame seeds. Devour!
Notes
- Different quinoa colors have slightly different flavors; white is mildest, red and black have more earthiness, and tri-colour combines all three.
- For Lebanese cucumbers, no need to peel; for longer cucumbers, peel the skin and remove seeds if preferred to reduce watery texture.
- Use a shredding tool or fine grater for carrots to achieve thin strands that blend well in the salad.
- Edamame can be found frozen and should be cooked and cooled before adding to the salad.
- Use light or all-purpose soy sauce, not dark or sweet soy sauce, for balanced flavor in dressing.
- Mirin is a sweet Japanese cooking wine; if unavailable, substitute with sugar and additional rice vinegar and mayonnaise adjustments.
- Choose toasted sesame oil for a stronger sesame flavor; untoasted is less common in some regions.
- Kewpie mayonnaise is traditional but any mayonnaise can be used as a substitute.
- Crush wasabi peas to add crunchy texture and a spicy note to the salad garnish.
- Toast sesame seeds in a dry skillet until lightly browned and fragrant for garnish.
- The salad can be made ahead; keep dressing and garnishes separate to maintain freshness and texture.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 10- 12 as a side
Amount Per Serving
Calories 177 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 177cal | 9% |
| Carbohydrates | 18g | 6% |
| Protein | 5g | 10% |
| Fat | 10g | 15% |
| Saturated Fat | 1g | 5% |
| Trans Fat | 1g | 50% |
| Cholesterol | 1mg | 0% |
| Sodium | 495mg | 21% |
| Potassium | 298mg | 6% |
| Fiber | 3g | 12% |
| Sugar | 4g | 8% |
| Vitamin A | 1540IU | 31% |
| Vitamin C | 30mg | 33% |
| Calcium | 42mg | 4% |
| Iron | 2mg | 11% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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