This is a healthy recipe for my Mother’s Day Quinoa Salad. This salad combines’ protein-rich red quinoa, soft butternut, sweet cranberries, fresh coriander and pumpkin seeds, all brought together by a balsamic and maple vinaigrette.
If you have not tried quinoa before, now is your chance as The Refillery stocks both the original and the red quinoa.
Cooking with Red Quinoa
Quinoa is naturally gluten-free, high in protein and one of the few plant foods that contain sufficient amounts of all nine essential amino acids.
Red quinoa has an earthy and fruity flavour and it retains its shape even after cooking, making it ideal for use in cold salad recipes.
This superfood salad can be enjoyed as a main or a side, is vegan, but can also be enjoyed by meat-eaters too.
Change the Mother’s Day Quinoa Salad Recipe Up
You could also roast the butternut beforehand if you like, or add in tomatoes, rocket or feta.
I used coriander as my mom doesn’t like too much lettuce in her salads and I tossed in some cranberries for sweetness as I had them stored in the pantry.
Mother’s Day Quinoa Salad
I have had the most awesome few days, spending time with my mom who came to stay with us over Easter (she lives in Durban).
You don’t realise how much you actually miss your family until you spend a long time with them again.
It was so special catching up and we even went wedding dress shopping.
I made this Quinoa salad for lunch when she came to visit me over Easter.
She is a real healthy bunny and lives on vegetables, so she loved this salad a lot!
Wishing all the mommies out there a Happy Mother’s Day.
Love.
Cat
Mother’s Day Quinoa Salad
Butternut & Cranberry Quinoa Salad
Ingredients
Salad:
- 1 cup of cubed butternut
- ½ cup uncooked red quinoa
- 1/3 cup dried cranberries
- 2 Tbsp. pumpkin seeds
- ½ cup chopped coriander
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Vinaigrette
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
- 1 tsp. maple syrup
- Salt and black pepper
Instructions
- Boil butternut cubes in water until soft. When the butternut is cooked, drain and then toss in half the vinaigrette* and season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- While the butternut is cooking, also cook the quinoa in a cup and a half of water (or cover with water) and boil until soft
- To assemble the salad, combine the cooked quinoa, chopped coriander, butternut, cranberries and pumpkin seeds in a large bowl. Add the other half of the vinaigrette and mix until combined.
- Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Chill in the refrigerator for an hour and serve
Notes
Disclaimer: This is a paid for recipe that I created for The Refillery
