Quinoa Salad

Each week Green B.E.A.N. Delivery brings a bin-full of freshness to our front door. I really really love that we use their service. Coming home to a bin filled to the brim each Thursday is one of my favorite things. I never cease to become giddy when I unload our container and arrange everything in our fridge just so. There’s always so much color.

But Green B.E.A.N. is more than just a delivery service; they have great community outreach and make sure that through partnerships with Gleaners Foodbank and Second Helpings (in the Indianapolis area), people get fresh produce. Giving everyone access to good food is a cause close to my heart. Food is the good stuff in life, don’t you agree?

And speaking of the good stuff in life, we had a perfectly stellar dinner thanks to the good folks at Green B.E.A.N. They have a wonderful assortment of recipes that they share and I’m always inspired to try something new based on what’s in my bin. This week I gave the Quinoa Salad with Curry Coconut Dressing a try. It was the perfect way to utilize my sweet peppers, mango and spring onions (wait, are those spring onions below? I’m not 100% sure. Let me know if you have figured it out.).


Quinoa Salad with Curry Coconut Dressing
(Adapted from this recipe at GreenBEANdelivery.com)

Dressing Ingredients:

• 1 garlic clove
• pinch of salt
• 2 tablespoons coconut milk
• 1 tablespoon red curry paste
• Juice of one freshly squeezed lemon
• 5 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon dried cilantro

Salad Ingredients:

• 1 ½ cups quinoa, rinsed thoroughly
• 1 large mango
• 3 mini sweet peppers, seeded and diced
• 1 bunch minced spring onions
• 1/3 cup almonds, roasted and chopped

Process:

For the dressing:

Press garlic with a garlic press and mix in a pinch of salt, mix together well with the back of a spoon. Combine the garlic and salt with the coconut milk, curry paste and brown sugar in a small bowl. Stir in the lemon juice and dried cilantro, then whisk in the oil. Let stand while you prepare the rest of the salad. Adjust to taste before pouring on salad.

For the salad:

Bring 3 cups water to a boil in a saucepan and then add the quinoa. Lower the heat, cover, and simmer until the quinoa is tender, 12 to 15 minutes. Drain.

Toss the quinoa with the mango, peppers, onion, and vinaigrette. Sprinkle almonds on top just before serving so they remain crisp. Serves four for a main course or eight as a side.

Comments

2 responses to “Quinoa Salad”

  1. Patti Avatar
    Patti

    Yum! Our CSA pick-ups started last week and I was so excited to plan the week’s dinners to use up all the green goodies too! I love that I’m forced to try something new and eat more green things. It does get boring having the same things over and over again each week, and having to think of something new and creative uses my brain way too much. So it’s super nice to have something just dropped in your lap for you to figure out what to do with. And the growers’ suggested recipes are gold! I love that you’re using up more red curry paste and coconut milk! Quinoa rocks!

    1. Claire Avatar
      Claire

      Yes! That’s totally the beauty of having a CSA. I’m so glad you are loving yours. 🙂

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