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?