Ingredients
Units Scale
Salad:
- 1 lb asparagus
- 1 cup quinoa
- 1/4 cup packed fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup parsley, finely chopped
- 1/3 cup toasted hazelnuts, coarsely chopped
- 1/4 cup green onions, thinly sliced
- 3 to 5 small carrots with tops on
Vinaigrette:
- zest of 1 lemon
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1 Tbsp unseasoned rice wine vinegar
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp maple syrup
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cook the quinoa in 2 cups of boiling water seasoned with ½ teaspoon salt. For more flavor, you can cook it in vegetable broth. Let simmer uncovered on medium heat until all the liquid is gone and the quinoa is tender, about 15 minutes. Remove it from the heat, put the top on the pot, and let it steam for 5 minutes. Uncover and fluff with a fork.
- Prepare a large bowl with cold water and ice cubes. Set this near the stovetop as the ice bath for the asparagus.
- Bring a saucepan of salted water to a boil. Trim the woody ends from the asparagus and cut the stalks into 1-inch pieces. Drop asparagus into the boiling water and cook for 3 minutes until just crisp-tender. With a slotted spoon, remove the pieces from the saucepan and immediately plunge them into the ice water bath to stop the cooking. Once the asparagus is cool, drain it and then spread it out on paper towels to dry.
- Dip the carrots into the boiling water while holding onto the green tops. Let them cook for a few minutes to slightly soften. They will still have some crunch to them.
- Make the vinaigrette by combining lemon zest, lemon juice, vinegar, mustard, maple syrup, and olive oil in a small mason jar. Salt and pepper to taste. Screw on the lid and shake until the ingredients are combined.
- Assemble the salad by combining the quinoa, asparagus, mint, parsley, and green onions in a large bowl. Add about half the vinaigrette and toss together. Pour the quinoa mixture evenly onto a serving platter or large shallow bowl. Scatter the nuts to garnish the top. Arrange the carrots on the side to add color.
Keywords: quinoa salad with asparagus