Quinoa Salad with everything-but-the-kitchen-sink//Mustard, Lemon Juice + Olive Oil Dressing//Topped with Garlicky + Herby Roasted Potatoes, Sweet Potatoes + Onions
A quinoa salad makes for a really delicious and nutritious meal, and there are so many versions of it that I love. It’s a great vessel to play with different flavours and cuisines. This version is my go-to. It is simply a combination of everything that I love, and it is so so delicious. If you look at the ingredients, it’s as if a Mexican and a Mediterranean quinoa salad where combined—then topped with the most wonderful garlicky, crispy roasted potatoes, sweet potato, and red onion. This last is key—it takes the salad from yummy to absolutely bomb. You might wonder if the flavours will clash, or if there are simply too many of them—worry not! Somehow, it all works together beautifully. The last thing that I would like to say about the recipe itself is that I like to keep the dressing simple. I like to focus on the fresh flavours, and be able to really taste them. When putting this post together, I asked myself if I should change my recipe from this one, which I’ve been making for years, by coming up with a dressing that is more “chef-y”, more impressive. Perhaps a green goddess dressing, or something in those realms. But I decided to leave it untouched…I love it exactly as it is, and I feel that simplicity is sometimes best. Whilst you are most welcome to make a fresh green goddess dressing and drizzle it overtop of the salad to turn it into a more restaurant-style dish, this is intended as an easy homemade dish that will become a staple in your everyday recipe rotation. Now, turning to how this salad makes me feel…it’s one of those recipes that makes healthy eating feel like a treat rather than a chore. I love the flavours in this every bit as much as, say, pizza, and yet no part of this tastes virtuous or boring. And this is why this recipe is such a wonderful staple in my kitchen. It’s full of protein—between the quinoa, black beans, and eggs—vitamins and minerals in the rainbow of vegetables and herbs, and healthy fats in the olive oil and avocado. I love to eat this after a workout, for a picnic, or for a simple lunch or dinner. And, if I haven’t sung enough praises about it, let me add for the mammas and papas of little ones out there that I have it on good authority that your young kiddos will actually love this, and your fight to get them to eat well can take a night off. You’re welcome!
Recipe:
Makes 1 large bowl, about 6 portions
Notes
I specify the type of salt used, as different salts are more or less salty than others. If you don’t have the same kind of salt used, be mindful of this and adjust accordingly. Generally speaking, pink Himalayan salt is less salty than most others.
I recommend using the measurements in grams for the roasted vegetables, as this doesn’t allow for human error. Some additional references are provided (such as “2 medium + 1 small” potatoes) to give you a rough idea only, which are intended as aids for approaching your grocery list.
The gram values called for for the roasted vegetables are before peeling, for ease of preparation. You will therefore end up with a lower number that actually goes into the recipe.
A note on the specification of using corn oil in the roasted vegetable recipe. I used to turn my nose up at oils such as corn, canola, and the like. Very silly! As far as neutral cooking oil was concerned, I would only use extra-virgin olive oil. I still usually do, for sautéing things, dressings, etcetera. However, a trick that I recently—and begrudgingly—accepted, is to use corn oil (or canola oil as a second choice) to make roasted vegetables, instead of olive oil. The result is just better, crispier, and I think that it’s due to the smoke point levels.
The recipe calls for dried powdered rosemary. I make this myself, by blending dried rosemary in my Vitamix. I don’t care for dried rosemary, unblended. So, if you can’t use the powdered version, substitute it with some fresh rosemary, finely chopped, or nothing at all.
The recipe for the roasted vegetables yields an amount that serves as a relatively light topping. The photo in which they are shown on top shows the whole quantity. If you want to make the dish heartier, feel free to double the roasted vegetable recipe, or make 50% more. You would need 2 baking trays for this.
I use the brand Maille for the mustard called for in the dressing. It is my absolute favourite mustard for salad dressings; it’s just about the only mustard that I’ve been eating my entire life. I urge you, therefore, to buy it, as opposed to substituting a different brand. It’s a great product to have in the fridge. As well, I aim to be exceedingly clear in my instructions, in an effort to ensure that your finished product tastes the same as mine, and I can’t know what another kind of mustard would taste like in this recipe. For my fellow Canadians, at least, it’s available in all grocery stores, including at Costco in a large format.
A note on the cooked corn: it is preferable to use fresh corn that has been cooked in a pan, or, as a second choice, boiled. If you are pressed for time, however, please feel free to use frozen corn. Just be sure to thaw it before adding to the salad. If you don’t, the water from the thawing process will water down the salad dressing and ruin it. Top tip: to quickly thaw frozen corn, put it in a sieve and run hot water over it until it’s no longer frozen. If you don’t know how to cook corn in a pan, heat 2 tbsp of olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Add 2 cobs of corn, and 1/4 tsp salt (pink Himalayan). Give the pan a shake to disperse the salt. Cook for 12 minutes, with the lid on, giving the pan the occasional shake to move the corn around. Add 3 tbsp water, and cook for 5 more minutes with the lid still on.
A note on the optional mint: I add this when I specifically feel like adding an eclectic flavour to the salad, but if I don’t feel like that that day, I omit it.
Roasted Vegetables
Ingredients
450 g (2 medium + 1 small) yellow potatoes, peeled, medium dice
1 1/4 tsp salt (pink Himalayan)
25 cracks of black pepper
1/2 tsp dried thyme leaves
1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/4 + 1/8 tsp dried powdered rosemary
1 large clove garlic, crushed
1 medium clove garlic, crushed
1/4 cup + 1 tbsp corn oil
250 g (1/2 of 1 large) sweet potato, peeled, medium dice
3/4 cup red onion, diced into pieces 1 cm in diameter
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit, and ensure that oven rack is positioned in the middle.
In a medium bowl, combine yellow potatoes, 1/2 tsp salt, 15 cracks pepper, 1/4 tsp dried thyme, 1 tsp dried oregano, 1/4 tsp dried powdered rosemary, the large clove of crushed garlic, and 2 tbsp of oil. Take about 1/4 cup of this, and pulse a few times in a food processor, until the potato breaks down into little pieces. The exact size is not important. See photo showing the roasted vegetables before they were mixed in, for a visual reference if you are unsure about the sizing. This is a little trick to create extra crispy bits. Mix back in with rest of the potatoes. Place on baking tray, keeping to 1/3 of it. Not too much space between pieces, as you would normally aim for, to avoid the little pieces burning.
Using the same medium bowl, combine sweet potato, 1/2 tsp salt, 10 cracks pepper, 1/4 tsp dried thyme, 1/2 tsp dried oregano, 1/8 tsp dried powdered rosemary, the medium clove of crushed garlic, and 2 tbsp of oil. Take about 1/4 cup of this, and pulse a few times in a food processor until the sweet potato breaks down into little pieces. The exact size is not important. Mix back in with rest of the sweet potato. Place on the baking tray, next to the yellow potatoes, keeping to 1/3 of it. No space between pieces, to avoid the little pieces burning. Perhaps due to the natural sugars in it, the sweet potato will more easily burn, so I leave no space between pieces.
Using the same medium bowl one last time, combine red onion, 1/4 tsp salt, and 1 tbsp oil. Set aside for later.
Put baking sheet in oven for 23 minutes. After these 23 minutes, remove tray from oven, and add the red onion to the final 1/3 space on the tray. Do aim to spread out the red onion. Return to oven. Bake for 7 more minutes. Remove tray from oven. Flip the vegetables. Return to oven. Bake for 15 more minutes, then remove tray from oven, scoop the vegetables into a medium bowl (you can use the original one), and mix together. In other words, the red onion cooks for 22 minutes, and both kinds of potatoes cook for 45. Considering that all ovens are different, I want to mention: if there are a few blackened bits of potato, feel free to discard them. Although, I like a few little charred pieces here and there. Use your best judgement. Also note that given that all ovens are different, and you may need to add or subtract time, at your discretion, to achieve crispy (but not burned!) roasted vegetables. Likewise, if you know that your oven is particularly weak, feel free to increase the heat to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
Set aside, until you’re ready to top the salad with the roasted vegetables, or mix them in. They are to be served hot, so heat them up if necessary when you’re ready to serve.
Quinoa Salad
Ingredients
1/2 cup uncooked quinoa
1 1/2 + 1/8 tsp salt (pink Himalayan)
7 eggs
1/2 cup canned black beans (not unsalted), rinsed
3/4 cup cooked corn *see notes
1/4 red pepper, small dice
1/4 green pepper, small dice
1 medium tomato, diced
2 inches of a large cucumber, sliced into quarter-moons
1/2 very large (or 1 medium) stalk celery, small dice
1/2 avocado, diced
15 large sprigs of coriander (just the leaves), roughly chopped
6 large sprigs of flat leaf parsley (just the leaves), roughly chopped
optional: 6 large leaves mint, thinly sliced *see notes
4 green olives, small dice or sliced
8 brown olives, small dice or sliced
1/4 cup capers, packed
100 g feta, crumbled
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup + 1 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tbsp Maille mustard (Dijon Originale)
1/4-1/2 medium red onion (to taste), small dice
optional: your favourite hot sauce to serve
Instructions
Begin by cooking the quinoa. In a small saucepan, combine quinoa with 1 cup of water, and 1/4 + 1/8 tsp tsp salt. Bring to a boil over high heat with the lid off. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and cook for 15 minutes. Remove from heat, and leave it for 5 minutes longer with the lid still on. Remove lid, and fluff with a fork. Transfer quinoa to a small bowl, and let it cool completely in the fridge while you make the rest of the salad.
Hard boil eggs. Peel, transfer to a small bowl, and let them cool completely in the fridge while you make the rest of the salad. They should be a medium chop for the salad. If you’re completely new to the kitchen—make them by putting them in a saucepan, covered with water (any temperature), and bring the water to a boil over high heat. Cook at a rolling boil for 10 minutes. Watch that the water doesn’t boil over! Drain, and rinse with cold water before handling.
Add all of the ingredients into a large salad bowl, including the remaining 1 1/4 tsp salt, and give it a gentle toss. Important note: the red onion must be added in only when you’re ready to serve the salad. If added in, and the salad is not soon served, the juices of the onion will permeate the salad, and it will taste too strongly of onion. Therefore, keep it separate if you’re not yet ready to serve it. Likewise, if the whole salad isn’t going to be consumed in its entirety, add red onion only to the portions being eaten.
Re-heat the roasted vegetables if necessary. Top the salad with them, or mix them in (as pictured). You can also top it with grilled, rotisserie, or seared chicken. Important note: the salad is meant to be served cold with hot roasted vegetables. If you’re not ready to serve it, do not mix the roasted vegetables in, as they will become soggy, and are not good cold. So, if you’re not ready to eat the salad, keep them aside and only add them in when ready to enjoy. Likewise, if the whole salad isn’t going to be consumed in its entirety, add roasted vegetables only to the portions being eaten.
Serve immediately. Add you favourite hot sauce on the side, if desired. I like Nandos Hot with it. This salad is best consumed the day of.
Enjoy!
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