I only recently discovered quinoa and now I am hooked. I love all grains that can be used to make salads (I have plenty of couscous and maftoul recipes on the blog already!), so I already knew I would like quinoa. And I was not mistaken. I love its crunch and its slight bitterness, especially when paired with sweetish vegetables like roasted pumpkin and carrots. Moreover, the sweet and tangy vinaigrette adds an extra layer to the flavour profile. This Roasted Pumpkin and Carrot Quinoa Salad is an absolute keeper! Have you ever eaten quinoa? If so, what is your favourite way to prepare it? Let me know in the comments or join the discussion on our Facebook Group!
Roasted Pumpkin and Carrot Quinoa Salad
Roasted Pumpkin and Carrot Quinoa Salad - a delicious way to keep healthy with this superfood grain and vegetable salad
Prep Time 40 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings 4
Ingredients
Quinoa
- 1 cup red quinoa raw
- 2 cups water
- ¼ tsp salt
Vegetables
- 1 bunch baby carrots cleaned
- ¼ pumpkin or butternut squash sliced
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Salt to taste
Vinaigrette
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp honey
- Salt to taste
Salad
- Cooked quinoa
- Roasted Vegetables
- Vinaigrette
- 2 tbsp pepitas
- Mint and/or parsley chopped
Instructions
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Put the cleaned baby carrots and sliced pumpkin in a pan. Drizzle with some extra virgin olive oil and season with salt. Mix well to coat the vegetables.
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Roast in the oven until cooked through.
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Rinse the quinoa for 2 minutes. Rub it well between your fingers. This will make it less bitter.
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Drain it and put it in a pot. Add 2 cups of water and the ¼ teaspoon of salt.
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Put it on the fire. When it boils, put the fire on medium-low and then simmer, covered, for 15 minutes.
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Put the fire off and let it rest, covered, for 5 more minutes. Then fluff it up with a fork.
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Transfer to a big bowl, add the roasted vegetables, the vinaigrette, pepitas and fresh herbs and mix well.
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Serve warm or at room temperature.
This sounds delicious. I have always had the white or the black version and have never tried the red version… I also use quinoa flour in my bakes too. May be you could try it…..
Awww that sounds intriguing! I’d love to try and bake with quinoa flour!! Thanks for the tip Shibani!
I love hearty salads and this one looks great! Quinoa is great for meatless mondays!