Quinoa Salad with Sweet Potato

This Quinoa Salad with Sweet Potato is a light meal with amazing texture and flavor. I love eating this salad as a main dish for lunch or as a light dinner. It is super filling, loaded with quinoa, black beans, and vegetables, and tossed with a perfect light dressing.

The recipe might seem long, but all the steps are straightforward. Give this salad a try, and let me know what you think.

The Aroma Espresso Bar menu, an Israeli coffee chain with great food and coffee, inspires the recipe.

Ingredients Overview

Quinoa: You could really use any type of quinoa. It should be cooked and chilled.

Vegetables: Tomatoes and roasted sweet potatoes. 

Black beans: Cooked from scratch or from a can (rinsed and drained).

Red onion: For sharp depth of flavor.

Mixed herbs: They make this salad nice and fresh; cilantro, basil, and mint

Optional add-ons or variations: Dried cranberries, chickpeas, black lentils, chopped Jalapeños, pumpkin seeds, walnuts, Feta cheese, Avocado, and corn.

How to Cook Quinoa?

Properly cooking quinoa for salads is essential to avoid mushy quinoa. One cup of dry quinoa yields about three cups of cooked quinoa. 

• Place the quinoa in a fine-mesh strainer and rinse thoroughly under cool, running water. Drain 
• For one cup of quinoa, you need 1 ¾ cups of liquid; water or broth. 
• In a medium saucepan place quinoa, liquid, and ¼ teaspoon of salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cover with a lid. Cook for 15 minutes.
• Remove from heat and let stand for 5 minutes, covered.
• Remove the lid and fluff the quinoa gently with a fork. 
• After it is cooked, allow it to cool completely.

How to Roast Sweet Potatoes?

• Preheat the oven to 400°F/200°C.
• Peel the sweet potatoes, cut them up into 1-inch pieces, toss with the olive oil, and spread evenly on a baking sheet.
• Roast the sweet potatoes in the oven for 20 to 25 minutes. After 10 minutes, stir the sweet potatoes and return to the oven. Cook the sweet potatoes until tender and caramelized.

How to Store Quinoa Salad?

This quinoa salad lasts in the refrigerator without the dressing for 4-5 days.

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Quinoa Salad with Sweet Potato

Author Rachel

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Yield 4 people

Print Pin Recipe

Description

This quinoa salad is a light meal with amazing texture and flavor. It is super filling, loaded with quinoa, black lentils, and vegetables, and tossed with a perfect light dressing.

Kosher, Pareve, Vegan

Ingredients

The salad:

• ▢ 3 cups cooked and chilled quinoa
• ▢ 1 cup cooked or from a can black beans rinsed and drained
• ▢ 2 medium size sweet potatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces and roasted in olive oil
• ▢ 1/2 cup red onion, finely chopped
• ▢ 3-4 small tomatoes, finely chopped
• ▢ 1/2 cup fresh herbs, roughly chopped—cilantro, parsley, and mint.

Optional add-ons or variations:

• ▢ dried cranberries, chickpeas, black lentils, chopped Jalapeños, Avocado, Feta cheese, pumpkin seeds, walnuts, and corn.

The dressing:

• ▢ 1/4 cup (60 ml) olive oil
• ▢ 2 Tablespoons (30ml) pure maple syrup or honey
• ▢ fresh lemon juice from 1/2 lemon
• ▢ 1/4 Teaspoon salt or more to taste
• ▢ black pepper to taste

Instructions

Make the dressing:

• Whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, maple syrup or honey, salt and pepper in a small bowl or jar. Set aside.

Put the salad together:

• In a large bowl, combine quinoa, black beans, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, red onion, and chopped herbs.
• Drizzle salad with dressing and gently stir until the salad is fully coated.

Tried this recipe? Tag@mamalivingabroad