Looking for new ways to add superfood Quinoa into your daily diet, here is a delicious wholesome Quinoa sweet potato salad. It is not only healthy but surprisingly filling.
Quinoa in recent years has become a common ingredient of my family's daily diet. Mainly due to its high nutritional value and fibre. It is one of the few plant-based foods considered to provide complete protein sources.
Skip to recipe Quinoa - Sweet Potato Salad or continue reading for tips and stages of making the recipe
Photo: Tricolor Quinoa
Quinoa comes in three varieties - white, black, and red. The white variant has a light and fluffy texture when cooked whereas the other types have a slightly nuttier and richer taste compared to its regular, earthy taste.
I use white organic quinoa in my Quinoani (Quinoa Biryani) recipe. Check out this recipe for a hearty meal infused with aromatic spices. I also use it in my Quinoa idli recipes. Here are the links to make spongy fluffy quinoa idlis Instant Quinoa Idli and Beet power Quinoa Idli. Whilst in my Quinoa Sweet Potato Salad, I am using tricolour organic quinoa to get that extra nutty flavour profile.
All you need is tricolour quinoa, sweet potato, other colourful and textured veggies of your choice to toss in the salad, and oh yes, do not ever forget the most important salad dressing. It plays a pivotal role in gelling all the ingredients together and imparting a luscious flavour to the salad. You can also add nuts of your choice for an additional crunch dimension. I like to go for roasted pepper cashews.
Photo: Tri colour quinoa, Sweet potatoes, cherry tomatoes, baby spinach, red onion, Lebanese cucumber, and avocado.
Stages of Making - 5 Simple steps
1. Cooking quinoa
Cooking quinoa is super easy, just like cooking rice. Quinoa tastes better when it is roasted prior to boiling. So roast quinoa a few spoons of hot oil until it smells nutty, then add the double amount of water, salt to taste, cover and cook for 20 minutes on medium flame.
2. Meanwhile, cook sweet potato
Peel, dice, spray oil, bake them in the oven.
3. Cucumber rosettes
A fun way to embellish your salad.
4. Arrange salad platter.
Allow quinoa and sweet potato to cool. Spread quinoa in the platter as shown in the photo. Place all chopped veggies and cooked sweet potato over the quinoa along the brim of the bowl.
5. Salad Dressing
I use my Classic Vinaigrette for this salad. A match made in heaven. This vinaigrette is incredibly easy to make and super tasty. Click on the link to see the recipe.
Add dressing to the salad just before serving to keep the veggies leaves from wilting and losing its crunch.
6. Ready to serve the salad
When ready to serve, mix all the ingredients placed in the salad platter except for Vinaigrette (salad dressing). Once all the ingredients are mixed well then drizzle the dressing and give the last mix. Enjoy.
What other vegetables or ingredient options are there to add in the salad?
The vegies and leaves combination used in my recipe is tried and tested a number of times with my family and friends. It has always been licked clean.
But by all means, you can have fun using any vegetables of your choice that you like eating raw such as celery, carrot, cabbage, lettuce, sprouted lentils, any other leafy vegetables like kale leaves, parsley, coriander, chives, etc.
If interested in adding vegetables that are not palatable in its raw form, then make sure to cook and cool them separately just like sweet potato in this recipe. Option for this is chat potatoes, beans, lentils, broccoli, asparagus, etc.
You can also lay around with fruits like apple, oranges, berries, grapes, and so on.
Salad dressing options?
Nothing beats homemade salad dressing. My Classic Vinaigrette is the best one to go with this recipe.
You can also try any of your favourite salad dressing and see if you like the combination. This recipe is extremely flexible so experiment.
Can the salad be made ahead of time?
Some of the elements of this salad can be made ahead of time. Quinoa can be cooked a day earlier and so can be sweet Potato. Make sure to refrigerate them to keep it from spoiling. vegies and leaves are best to be cut maximum an hour or two earlier than serving to keep its freshness and crispness.
Classic Vinaigrette can be made 3 days ahead of time and refrigerated. Add dressing to the salad right before serving or else as mentioned earlier, vegies and leaves will wilt and lose its vibrancy.
Final result
Who said salads are boring? This salad is certain to convert them into salad lovers.
No one can get past this flamboyant platter of goodness. Make it for lunch or as a side dish.
Recipe link below
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