Zingy quinoa, black bean and sweet potato salad
Not sure what to do with quinoa?
I know. I’ve always been a bit meh about home cooked quinoa (with some pretty stodgey, soggy experiences in the past). But trust me - it’s all about how you cook it. Rinsing well helps reduce any bitter taste, and this absorption method results in a nice fluffy texture. Thanks to Cookie and Kate for that break though!
Quinoa is an excellent source of fibre and a great, nutrient-rich gluten free alternative to couscous in salads. It’s got a delicate nutty flavour, and is quite fragrant when you’re cooking it. You want to pair quinoa with lots of different and lovely textures, colours and bold flavours to really make it sing. And I think this is an excellent way to do just that.
Why make this salad?
Because it’s actually delicious, satisfying AND full of amazing fibre, antioxidants and nutrients. It’s certainly enough as a main salad, or you could pair with grilled meat, fish or chicken. This salad is also excellent for meal prepping - you could make up a batch and take it for lunch 2-3 days in a row, as long as you store the dressing separately until serving.
Of course, feel free to swap in and out veggies and dressing ingredients according to preferences and what is available to you. Tender pieces of kale or rocket would work instead of the spinach leaves. Pumpkin or carrot could replace the sweet potato. And for a dairy free option, you can leave out the Greek yoghurt or use a plant based alternative. The black beans could be tinned chick peas or lentils, or you could swap them for edamame beans for a lower FODMAP option.
Happy cooking!
Zingy quinoa, black bean and sweet potato salad
Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200c fan forced (220c regular bake).
- Rinse the quinoa for at least 30 seconds in a sieve under running water, drain and add to a medium saucepan. Add 1.5 cups water or stock, a good pinch of salt and bring to the boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to a simmer and cook with the lid off until all the liquid has evaporated. Next, turn the heat off and replace the lid (so the quinoa continues to steam for another 5 minutes). Remove lid, toss the quinoa to separate any clumps, and set aside to cool.
- While the quinoa is cooking, wash and dry the sweet potato, then slice into 5cm cubes (skin on) and place into a large baking dish. Drizzle generously with EVOO and toss with a good amount of salt and za’atar or spice mix of choice. Bake for around 25 minutes, until golden brown and cooked. Remove and set aside.
- Slice the cabbage thinly, wash and dry the spinach leaves and a bunch of coriander. Drain and rinse the black beans. Toast the pepitas lightly in a small pan (around 5 minutes, medium heat).
- Make the dressing by adding all ingredients to a high speed blender and blitzing. Taste, adjust seasoning and texture (add more water and lime juice if needed) for a pourable consistency.
- Now assemble your salad! In a big bowl, layer spinach, sweet potato, cabbage, black beans and most of the crumbled feta (reserve a little for garnish), toss gently to combine, then drizzle over the dressing and top with toasted pepitas, extra crumbled feta and the remaining coriander (roughly chopped).
- Tuck in! This salad also stands up well for meal prep and will keep for a few days in the fridge for (store dressing separately with cling wrap tightly covering the top to prevent oxidation and discolouration).