Quinoa Spring Salad
A fresh spring salad of greens, quinoa, sautéed leeks and snow peas with an easy herbal vinaigrette. Gluten free, vegan, nut free and low histamine, with Ayurvedic modifications.
Ingredients
- 4 cups spring greens (arugula, swiss chard, spinach, romaine lettuce, etc.)
- 1 1/2 cups cooked quinoa
- 1 cup sautéed leeks
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes (halved)
- 8 oz snow pea pods (steamed lightly)
- 1/2 cup fresh parsley
- 1/2 cup fresh mint
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar (or fresh lemon juice)
- 1 Tbsp maple syrup
- 2 Tbsp fresh basil (minced)
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- 1/4 tsp dried oregano
- 1/8 tsp each ground fennel, ground cumin, ground coriander
- mineral salt and freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
- sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, raisins (optional toppings)
Easy herbal vinaigrette
Instructions
- 1 Make the dressing: in a small mixing bowl, whisk together the olive oil, apple cider vinegar and maple syrup until emulsified. Stir in the spices and herbs. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
- 2
Assemble the salad: in a large mixing bowl, combine the quinoa, sautéed leeks, greens, cherry tomatoes, snow peas, parsley and mint.- 3
Drizzle with the vinaigrette (there may be some left over) and gently toss to coat.- 4
Season to taste. Enjoy!Note- Kapha: use arugula and mustard greens with the other greens; add black pepper, 2 cloves minced garlic, 1 Tbsp minced ramp, and honey to the vinaigrette.
- Pitta: decrease the oregano and use lime juice in the vinaigrette.
- Vata: add roasted root vegetables, and 1 clove minced garlic and honey or maple syrup to the vinaigrette.
- Low histamine: leave spinach out of the greens and don't use lemon juice, which is a histamine liberator.
Thank you and if you enjoyed this recipe, I'd love for you to share it with your friends!
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