ISSUE 21: Courtney’s Quinoa Crunch Salad

Our favorite warm-weather dish is Quinoa Crunch Salad! Crunchy rainbow veggies, juicy fresh mango, fluffy quinoa, chili lime cashews, and some creamy peanut dressing has been our go-to for the last few months. These are ingredients we always have on hand, so it is what we make when we aren’t sure what sounds good for dinner. Andrew and I love the colors, the textures, the flavors and the ability to mix and match this recipe with other proteins and throw the spicy peanut sauce on other dishes, too. (We make the sauce extra spicy and add a little fresh-squeezed lime.)

Quick tips: I often use frozen shelled edamame to save a little time as well as use frozen mango that we have on hand for smoothies. I just pull a handful of each out and let it thaw while I’m chopping the rest of the vegetables, making the sauce and quinoa. We also like to add pressed tofu to the quinoa or layer some salmon to the dish for extra protein. A bonus is that the kids will eat deconstructed versions of this salad as well, so it’s a win-win!

This is the perfect dish for a summer evening on the patio!

QUINOA CRUNCH SALAD

Ingredients for Salad:

2–3 cups shelled edamame

2 cups organic quinoa

1 cucumber, diced

1 green bell pepper, diced

1 red bell pepper. diced

2 ripe mangoes, diced

3 carrots, shredded

Half a head of purple cabbage, shredded

Sliced almonds, peanuts, cashews, etc. (We love Chili Lime Cashews from Trader Joe’s)

Ingredients for Peanut Dressing:

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

1/3 cup soy sauce

1/3 cup vinegar (white distilled or rice vinegar)

1/4 cup sesame oil

1–2 tablespoons chili paste like sambal oelek

2 tablespoons honey

1 clove garlic

1 knob of fresh ginger, peeled

Directions:

Cook the quinoa and edamame according to package directions.

Chop all the vegetables up.

Dressing: Give all ingredients a whirl in the food processor or blender.

Simply toss it all together in a big bowl and serve immediately!

Wine Pairing: Heritage Pinot Noir