Quinoa Salad with Nectarines, Corn, Cucumber, Roasted Chickpeas and a Ginger Dressing
A Simple Summer Salad with Big Flavors! Quinoa is cooked fluffy with turmeric and local farm- fresh ingredients gets a topping of a quick Gingery Dressing.
Not only is Quinoa Gluten Free – but is so simple to cook! I add Turmeric for color and health values.
Quinoa (pronounced “keen-wah”) is a type of edible seed that comes in various colors including black, red, yellow, and white.
I LOVE SALADS year-round. This recipe’s ingredients are in very “summer”, yet you can make some swaps easily with the seasons!
I will swap-out corn and nectarines for delicata squash (or any winter squash) and parsnips (or any root veggie.)
Quinoa is a flowering plant in the amaranth family. It is a herbaceous annual plant grown as a crop primarily for its edible seeds; the seeds are rich in protein, dietary fiber, B vitamins, and dietary minerals in amounts greater than in many grains.
As a result of increased popularity and consumption, quinoa crop prices tripled between 2006 and 2014. The quinoa plant has been cultivated for about 5000 years and is indigenous to the Andean region of South America, specifically Bolivia, Ecuador, Chile, and Peru.
- Local Cucumbers
- White & Yellow Nectarines
- White & Yellow Corn
- Ginger-Maple Stovetop Roast Chickpeas
- Creamy Gingery Dressing
- The Gingery Dressing has a nice, zesty-tang and gets is creaminess from slowly adding the oil – and the onions help too.
Whirled in a small food processor (my favorite kitchen helper! If you don’t have one – I recommend this model.)
Quinoa is high in fiber, plus several vitamins and minerals that are low in many people’s diets. Regularly eating quinoa can help you meet your needs for magnesium, potassium, iron, fiber, and folate. The taste: a nutty-earthy, heartier rice.
Turmeric has been used in India for thousands of years as both a spice and medicinal herb. Recently, science has started to back up traditional claims that turmeric contains compounds with medicinal properties.
The antioxidant effect of turmeric is one of its greatest claims to fame. Its components can help calm the low-grade inflammation.
Did you know?
A cup of quinoa contains twice more protein and about 5 grams more fiber than white rice.
Unlike some plant proteins, quinoa is a complete protein, meaning that it contains all nine essential amino acids that our bodies cannot make on their own.
- There are more than 120 known varieties of quinoa. White and yellow quinoa have the mildest. Red and black quinoa have slightly stronger, earthier flavors and tend to hold their shape better than lighter colored quinoa.
The trick for perfectly fluffy quinoa: Use about twice as much water as quinoa, as usual, then cook uncovered until the quinoa has absorbed all the water. The cooking time will vary based on quantity. Once the water is all absorbed, remove the pot from heat, cover it and let the quinoa steam for 5 minutes.
HINT: You may notice a little white “tail” unfold when it is fully & perfectly cooked; this is the nutritious germ.
I’m loving this salad – fabulous for lunch, a first course and great for entertaining,
Karen
Quinoa Salad with Nectarines, Corn, Cucumber, Roasted Chickpeas and a Ginger Dressing
Ingredients
Quinoa:
- 2/3 cups quinoa rinsed; yields 2 1/2 cups cooked
- 1 1/3 cups vegetable broth or water
- 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
Salad Ingredients:
- 1 cup cucumbers thinly sliced; 1/2"pieces
- 2 ears fresh corn I use one white, one yellow
- 1 large nectarines I used one yellow and one white
- 1 recipe stovetop roasted ginger-maple chickpeas* (recipe below)
- 1/2 cup chopped parsley
Fresh Ginger Dressing
- 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh ginger peeled, coarsely chopped
- 2 teaspoons fresh garlic peeled, coarsely chopped
- 1/3 cup rice vinegar
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon pure cane sugar
- 1/8 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/3 cup grapeseed oil or other neutral oil
- 2 tablespoon sweet onions peeled; coarsely chopped
Instructions
- Cook quinoa in low simmering vegetable broth or water with the turmeric, covered. Done on about 13 minutes, uncover, take off heat, keep covered 3 minutes then fluff. Leave to cool.
- Make the Ginger-Maple Stovetop Roast Chickpeas (recipe in notes)
- Strip corn, remove silks. Steam until just cooked, about 3 minutes. Cool. Cut in half horizontally - remove kernels with a sharp knife.
- Cut nectarines from the pits in 1/4 inch slices.
Make the Ginger Dressing:
- Add ginger and garlic to a small food processor, pulse to chop slightly. Add the vinegar, lemon juice, sugar, pepper and salt. Pulse one minute. Add the oil through the top feed tube until emulsified. Add the onion and pulse until onion is chopped, but still has some texture. (The dressing can be made in a blender.)
- Finish the Salad:
- Add quinoa to a large bowl. Add cucumbers, corn, chickpeas and parsley. ONLY add nectarines just before serving (or up to 2 hours with the dressing.) Top with the Ginger Dressing and stir well. Enjoy!
Notes
Drain a can of organic chickpeas. Spread out on paper towels, add a paper towel on top to dry - and rub gently to remove their skins. Add 1 1/2 tablespoon neutral oil to a large cast iron or stick proof skillet. Heat to medium-high. Add the chickpeas, 3/4 teaspoon dry ginger, 1 1/2 teaspoons pure maple sugar, 1/4 teaspoon ground chilis (I used Kashmiri ground chili) and 1/4 teaspoon sea salt. Stir well to coat and cook until golden to lightly browned, about 10 minutes; stirring. Chickpeas will be crunchy but not dry. This recipe may not be reproduced without the consent of its author, Karen Sheer.
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