This beautiful salad is packed with flavor, and even better on the second day. The mint really adds a lot.

Serving Size: 4

Ingredients:

for the salad:

  • 4 beets
  • 1 cup quinoa
  • 1 vegetable bouillon cube
  • 2 cups water
  • 2 red onions
  • olive oil
  • handful fresh mint leaves

for the dressing:

  • 1/4 cup miso
  • 2 tablespoons mirin (or other sweetener)
  • 1/8 cup water
  • 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon tamari (Japanese soy sauce)
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil

Directions:

  1. Clean and cook the beets, allow them to cool, and cut them into small bite sized pieces.
  2. Wash the quinoa well with cold water or allow it to soak for 15 minutes in warm water and then rinse well, to remove the bitter oil from the outside of the quinoa.
  3. Cook the quinoa in 2 cups of water with the vegetable bouillon cube.
  4. When the quinoa is cooked, remove from the heat, allow the quinoa to cool, with the lid on the pan, it will absorb the steam and excess water.
  5. Mix the cooled quinoa and beets together well to make sure that the quinoa has become a pretty rosy pink color.
  6. Mince the onions and add to the beats and quinoa.
  7. Mix the salad dressing and pour over the salad.
  8. Allow the salad to season well for at least 1/2 an hour.
  9. Shortly before serving, mince the mint and mix into the salad.
  10. Serve on a bed of salad leaves (shown here are fresh beet greens and baby field salad).

Notes:

Next time I make this I will add some sort of nut to give a crunchy aspect. I think it will be either pine nuts or chopped walnuts.

adapted from http://vegweb.com/index.php?topic=24951.0