This very easy Quinoa and Spinach Salad is so delicious. As well as being nutrient-dense, it has vibrant colour and the flavoursome tang of citrus. It has a base of nutritious quinoa, with flavour, colour and nutrients added by spring onions, baby spinach, mandarin segments, pomegranate arils and slivered almonds. Enjoy it as a side dish to meat, poultry or fish or a nutritious, meat-free, light meal.
4mandarins - segments separated, and white membrane removed
5spring/green onions - finely sliced - the white and a little of the green part
1 1 /2cupsbaby spinach leaves
½cupflaked almonds
½pomegranate - arils removedSee Note 2
For the dressing:
4tablespoonextra virgin olive oilSee Note 3
2tablespoonlemon juice -freshly squeezed, or to taste
3teaspoonmaple syrup
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper - to tasteSee Note 4
Instructions
Place the quinoa into a fine-mesh sieve and rinse vigorously under cold, running water, swishing the quinoa with your fingers. Drain the quinoa well - I sit the sieve on several layers of paper towel; it helps absorb excess moisture.
Pour 2 cups of water into a medium-size saucepan and add the drained quinoa.Bring to the boil, then lower the heat and simmer, covered, for 8-10 minutes, or until the seeds are tender. Different varieties of quinoa cook at different times. Check the quinoa after about 8 minutes to see if it is cooked to your liking. One indicator is that the cooked grains will have little curly “tails”.
Remove the pan from the heat, place a clean tea towel or 3 layers of paper towel over the saucepan, place the lid back on and stand 5 minutes. The tea towel/paper towel will absorb excess moisture.
Place the quinoa into a serving bowl and leave it to cool.
Cut the mandarin segments in half. If the mandarins contain seeds, simply flick them out with the point of a small, sharp knife. Add the halved mandarin segments, sliced spring onions/scallions and spinach leaves to the quinoa.
To toast the flaked almonds I add them to a dry, non-stick frying pan. Over medium heat, I toss or stir them frequently until they are golden. Be careful, they will burn easily.
To make the dressing, combine the olive oil, lemon juice and maple syrup in a small bowl. Test the dressing to ensure it is to your taste.Add sea salt and freshly ground black pepper and mix well.
Toss the salad with the dressing. Check that the seasoning is to your taste adding more sea salt and freshly ground black pepper if required.Sprinkle the toasted almonds and pomegranate arils on top.
Notes
Quinoa: it is important to thoroughly rinse the quinoa. Rinsing helps remove the outside coating of the grain, called saponin, which can cause a slightly bitter taste. The saponin is a naturally occurring chemical which is there to deter insects. It is vital that the quinoa is thoroughly drained after rinsing so that all the water is absorbed during cooking.
Pomegranate: to remove the arils from the halved pomegranate, I hold it cut-side down in my hand with my fingers splayed, over a bowl. I vigorously and firmly hit the top of the pomegranate with a wooden spoon and the arils fall into the bowl.
Tablespoon: we use a standard Australian tablespoon which is 20 ml (4 teaspoons).
Seasoning: adjust the seasoning to your liking – we recommend using freshly ground black pepper and sea salt flakes for the best flavour.
Storage: leftover salad can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days. However, if the salad has been at room temperature for two hours, it should be discarded.