Quinoa Broccoli and Cauliflower Salad With Creamy Dressing

4 portions
25 min

Let me tell you this quinoa broccoli and cauliflower salad is the perfect lunch, picnic dinner or even a main course on a summer evening. And the best is, it’s incredibly easy! Quinoa has the most fluffy texture and a delicious nutty flavour. The tahini dressing for this quinoa broccoli and cauliflower salad is amazing, it’s fresh but still packs a punch. So let’s get into this healthy salad, shall we?

The flavours of the spices and the dressing slightly hint towards the middle eastern cuisine which combines perfectly with the nutty flavour of the quinoa. Cauliflower and broccoli look like brother and sister for a reason, they taste great together. When baking the broccoli in the oven the little florets get crispy and the cauliflower rosettes give a creamy mouthfeel. The creamy green tahini dressing brings all the separate ingredients together into a perfect salad.

quinoa broccoli and cauliflower salad with crunchy pecans and creamy tahini dressing

Ingredients for quinoa broccoli and cauliflower salad

The salad


  • quinoa
  • olive oil
  • ground cumin
  • zest of a lemon
  • broccoli
  • cauliflower
  • pecan nuts


The dressing


  • flat-leaf parsley
  • tahini (sesame paste)
  • yoghurt
  • lemon juice
  • olive oil
  • salt and pepper

How to make quinoa broccoli and cauliflower salad

This salad is very quick to make and is even healthy!

Preheat the oven to 200°C | 392 °F, if possible try to use the fan setting. Cut the broccoli and cauliflower into florets and put them on a baking sheet. Oil the florets and add the ground cumin and zest of the lemon by massaging it into the vegetables. place the baking sheet in the oven and bake the vegetables for 15 minutes.

Before cooking the quinoa it needs to be washed. Place the quinoa in a bowl or sieve and rinse it a few times with cold water. In the meantime get a pan on the stove and boil two times as much water as the amount of quinoa you want to serve. Once the water boils add the rinsed quinoa and cook for 15 minutes or until the little grains pop open.

While the vegetables are baking and the quinoa is cooking it’s time to make the dressing. If you own a mini food processor or regular one you can make this dressing in no time. Another option is to use a stick blender. Add the parsley and olive oil to the food processor and blend together until the parsley is finely chopped. Add the lemon juice, yoghurt, salt, pepper and tahini to the oil mixture and blend until you reach a uniform and thick dressing. Make sure to taste the dressing and adjust if you like!

Take a skillet and bake the pecan nuts in a dry pan on medium heat until they start to brown and release their nutty fragrance. Make sure to pay attention as they can burn easily. Once the nuts are to your liking take them off the heat and let them cool before you chop them into smaller pieces.

When all your elements are ready you can combine them in a big bowl and eat the salad right away. If you like the salad to be cold let all the elements cool individually and then mix them together.

How to serve quinoa broccoli and cauliflower salad

Serve the quinoa broccoli and cauliflower salad hot or cold, with a side of white fish or grilled chicken. Another great element to add is cubes of avocado.

quinoa broccoli and cauliflower salad with crunchy pecans and creamy tahini dressing

Tips

If you are short on time you can replace the fresh broccoli and cauliflower with frozen ones, this makes the cutting process a lot faster. And PSST…just a little secret…frozen vegetables are often fresher and have a lot more nutrients left than your regular store-bought vegetables because they are frozen right after they are harvested!


You might notice that the vegetables aren’t seasoned with salt, that’s because when you salt vegetables in the oven the salty taste disappears but the salt remains. So if you want to cut down on the amount of salt you are using than season vegetables after they come out of the oven. Besides the amount of salt not seasoning the vegetables means you have much more control over the flavour when it comes to making the dressing which makes it easier to determine how much salt you need to use.


Dietary options

This version of the quinoa, broccoli and cauliflower salad is vegetarian but you can easily add some grilled chicken. If you don’t have any pecans you can use walnuts or pinenuts. If you want to make the dressing vegan or lactose-free you totally can! Just replace the yoghurt with lactose-free yoghurt for a dairy-free salad or use a coconut or oat yoghurt.


When you decide to use a yoghurt alternative make sure to taste the dressing and assess for yourself if the dressing is tart enough, if not add some extra lemon juice.


How to store

This salad can be served hot or cold depending on the season your in. If you want to store it before serving it cold you can keep it in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days, but make sure you store the dressing in a different container or jar.


If you want to serve the salad hot the best way to store it is by freezing it in an airtight container, I love the ones from IKEA. When you freeze the quinoa salad it will remain perfect for up to 2 months, but again store the dressing separately or make it at the moment you are ready to eat.


Let me know if you tried the quinoa broccoli and cauliflower salad, I would love to hear from you.


Hugs,


Manou

Quinoa Broccoli and Cauliflower Salad With Creamy Dressing
Recipe details
  • 4  portions
  • Prep time: 10 Minutes Cook time: 15 Minutes Total time: 25 min
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Ingredients
Salad
  • 70 gr quinoa p.p.
  • 140 ml water (or more depending on the amount of servings of quinoa, the ratio should be 1:2)
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 1/2 tbsp ground cumin
  • zest of 1 lemon
  • 1 stem of broccoli
  • 1 stem of cauliflower
  • 100 gr pecan nuts
Dressing
  • 1 bunch of flat-leaf parsley
  • 2 tbsp tahini paste (sesame paste)
  • 4 tbsp yoghurt
  • juice of 1 lemon
  • 3 tbsp high quality extra virgin olive oil
Instructions

Preheat the oven to 200°C | 392 °F, if possible try to use the fan setting. Cut the broccoli and cauliflower into florets and put them on a baking sheet. Oil the florets and add the ground cumin by massaging it into the vegetables. Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake the vegetables for 15 minutes.
Place the quinoa in a bowl or sieve and rinse it a few times with cold water. In the meantime get a pan on the stove and boil two times as much water as the amount of quinoa you want to serve. Once the water boils add the rinsed quinoa and cook for 15 minutes or until the little grains pop open.
For the dressing you need a food processor. Add the parsley and olive oil to the food processor and blend together until the parsley is finely chopped. Add the lemon juice, yoghurt, salt, pepper and tahini to the oil mixture and blend until you reach a uniform and thick dressing.
For the roasted nuts you need a dry skillet. Heat the skillet and bake the pecan nuts on medium heat until they start to brown and release their nutty fragrance. Make sure to pay attention as they can burn easily. Once the nuts are to your liking take them off the heat and let them cool before you chop them into smaller pieces.
Let all the elements cool and combine them in a bowl. Taste one last time and adjust the seasoning if needed.
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