Quinoa salad with sweet-spicy dressing

This recipe for quinoa salad is a variation on a couscous salad I discovered this Thanksgiving at Madawaska Kanu Center. I haven’t tried the couscous version but I find the quinoa blends so well with the vegetables and dressing so I can’t imagine switching. Quinoa, fresh vegetables, and a sweet-spicy currant dressing give this salad a uniquely delicious flavour. Taste and the higher protein in the quinoa make this one of my favourite grain salads. Other than steaming the vegetables it is quite simple and easy to make. If you make this ahead of time, it makes a great salad to take with you to work or school for lunch.

Dressing

½ cup currants or raisins

¼ cup freshly squeezed orange juice

¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

1/3 cup olive oil

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon fine sea salt

½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

Salad

1 ½ cups quinoa, red, white or both

1 carrot finely chopped

1 cup sliced green beans or yellow wax beans cut into ¼” pieces

1 red bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped

½ red onion, finely chopped

¼ cup finely chopped fresh mint or parsley

½ cup chopped walnuts

Put the raisins, orange juice, lemon juice, oil, cinnamon, salt, and cayenne pepper in a jar. Cover with the lid and shake until ingredients are well mixed.

In a medium saucepan, bring rinsed quinoa and water to a boil and cook according to package. Remove from heat, fluff with a fork and let it cool completely.

Steam the carrot, green beans and bell pepper until they are a bright colour, about 3 minutes. Vegetables should still be crunchy. Rinse under cold water, drain, and cool completely.

Stir the steamed vegetables, onion, and mint into the quinoa. Shake the spicy dressing and pour over the salad. Stir until well coated. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavours to blend. Sprinkle with chopped walnuts. Serve chilled.