I’m calling this week’s recipe Moroccan-ish Quinoa Salad because I was inspired by the combination of spices used in a Moroccan recipe I saw for a cooked dish. It isn’t exactly a traditional Moroccan recipe but it sure was inspired by one. This is yet another gluten and dairy-free recipe. It also happens to be a very pretty salad because of the different colors of the veggies in it.
What you need:
1 C uncooked quinoa, rinsed
1 ¾ C water
1 C garbanzo beans
½ C finely diced onion
½ C shredded carrots
1 small diced red bell pepper
1/3 C unsweetened dried cranberries
¼ C chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
1/3 C cucumber (salted to get excess water out if time permits)
½ tsp salt
Dressing:
¼ C lemon juice
3 TB olive oil
2 tsp ground cumin
½ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp ground ginger
¼ tsp garlic paste
1/8 tsp ground red cayenne pepper
What you do:
Place the rinsed quinoa in a medium saucepan, add water and cover with a lid. Bring the water to a boil and immediately reduce to a simmer. Let it simmer for 15 minutes and then remove from heat and let sit with the lid on for five more minutes. Then transfer to a large bowl and allow quinoa to cool before combining with vegetables.
While the quinoa is cooking, combine the dressing ingredients and mix well. Once the quinoa is cool, add the vegetables, dried cranberries and parsley. If you have the time to spare, consider salting the cucumber to reduce the amount of water leaching into your salad. You can do this by putting the cucumber in a strainer with about ½ tsp of salt and heavy bowl on top of the cucumber. Leave the cucumber to drain for about an hour.
After you’ve combined the quinoa and all other ingredients, pour the dressing over it all and stir. Allow the salad to chill in the fridge for two hours before serving.
Serves eight as a side dish.
