Curried Quinoa Salad with Edamame and Orange
Cooking By Color – Green
I always have cooked quinoa laying around. Well, not literally strewn about the house (I’m not an animal ;). I make it in big batches so I can easily throw it in salads, serve it up with some beans and greens, or transform it into it’s own dish. When thinking of what green thing would partner well with quinoa, edamame came to mind. Then I thought to myself, I haven’t had edamame in ages. So off to the store I went. I grabbed some cilantro for good measure.
I always look for sales when I go to Whole Foods because that place can put a dent in the wallet. An orange called Pink Navel was on sale so I grabbed one not knowing yet what would become of it. I love orange flavor (orange in dressings, orange in smoothies) but not such a big fan of actually eating oranges (the pulp grosses me out). So using the zest and juice to make a sweet, yet tart dressing for the quinoa was what manifested. And what better to go with orange, edamame and quinoa than…cilantro and curry powder! Uhhhh…we are crossing many cultures in the recipe (I tend to do that a lot). Who says you can’t mix an Indian spice with an Asian protein, a Mexican herb, and an Aztec seed/grain?
You can’t really see from this photo but these oranges have a pretty pink color similar to grapefruit. They were just the perfect amount of tart and sweet and not very pulpy (score!). I may just have found my favorite orange. How much do you want to bet they were on sale because they were wrongly ordered or a one-off? I really hope they continue to carry them! Keep an eye out for a delicious Brussel sprout salad that has orange wedges (look ma’ no pulp!).
Curried Quinoa Salad with Edamame and Orange
3 to 4 servings
2 cups cooked quinoa
1 cup frozen edamame
2 tablespoons raisins
Small handful cilantro, chopped
2 tablespoons orange juice
1 tablespoon white balsamic (or red wine vinegar)
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 tablespoon tamari
1 tablespoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon orange zest
1/4 cup chopped pecans, toasted
Sea salt to taste, if needed
Directions:
Cook edamame according to package then toss with the quinoa, raisins and cilantro in a medium bowl. In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining ingredients except pecans. Toss this dressing with the quinoa mixture until well combined. Season to taste. Garnish with toasted pecans.
To toast pecans: Heat up a dry skillet over a medium high flame. Add in pecans and stir occasionally cooking them until fragrant and dark brown.
What is your favorite thing to do with edamame? What about with quinoa?
I’m so not a fan of quinoa. Being plant based I know I should incorporate it more into my diet but when I reach for my side grain I always reach for brown rice first, thus I have 6 bags of quinoa sitting in my pantry needing to be used because it expires in 3 months! This recipe actually looks really good! My question is, what grain/water ratio do you use for cooking your quinoa? I’ve heard all sorts of different ratios across the board, what do you use? I’ve tried 2/1, 1.5/1 and today 1/1. Wasn’t fan of 1/1. I made a veg korma and forced myself to use quinoa instead of rice, after lunch I threw out what was left. I keep holding out there is that amazing recipe that will make me like it but I am near giving up!
The perfect ratio is 1 cup quinoa to 1.5 cups water. Rinse the quinoa, put in saucepan with a pinch of sea salt and water. Bring to a boil. Cover with lid and lower flame to a very low simmer (where you can see a few bubbles along the quinoa). Cook for 20 minutes. Let sit for 5 then remove lid and fluff.
This recipe would probably be delightful with brown rice if you want to use that instead! Quinoa is great for snacks, desserts, and to make a morning porridge with. I would say try all kinds of recipes online, not just sides or savory ones. 🙂
Looks like a great lunch! Will definitely print this recipe and try it out.
Let us know what you think!
Yum! I love quinoa- I do the same. I make a big batch on Sunday night and throw it in salads, with veggies during the week. I love that it doesn’t get dry the same way that batch cooking brown rice does. I rarely do anything with edamame except eat it straight from the defrosted bag. It’s a great snack! I keep a bag in the freezer at work when I get hungry.
Very true, rice can get very dry sitting in the fridge! Quinoa has been my go-to for a while now, I rarely eat brown rice anymore!
Quinoa is my new go-to grain, since finding out I’m allergic to the more common ones (incl rice)
I haven’t been able to find the pin for the recipe curried quinoa with edamame and orange. Went to the blog and looked under green and orange and still didn’t find it. You don’t seem to have a pinterest button for the particular recipe. can you help?
HI there! You know you can add the Pin It button to your browser which allows you to pin any photo on the internet right? It’s super helpful for sites that don’t have a pin button (I use it exclusively). Here’s my pin of the recipe if you were wanting to repin it! I need to get a pin button I guess!
http://www.pinterest.com/pin/232639136973212805/