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Mega Crunchy Romaine Salad with Quinoa

Ingredients

Salad

  • 2/3 cup uncooked quinoa rinsed
  • 1 1/3 cups water
  • 1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds or any seed or nut of your choice
  • 1 small head of romaine about 11 ounces or one 5-to-6-ounce bag of romaine, chopped into bite-sized pieces
  • 1 cup shredded carrots 2 large carrots, turned into ribbons with a julienne peeler and roughly chopped
  • 1 cup chopped cabbage green or purple or broccoli slaw
  • 1/2 cup chopped radishes
  • 1/2 cup dried cranberries

Zippy Cilantro Dressing

  • 1/3 cup olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons lime juice about 2 medium limes
  • 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
  • 1/4 cup lightly packed fresh cilantro
  • 2 teaspoons maple syrup or agave
  • 2 medium cloves garlic roughly chopped
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon chipotle chili powder or regular chili powder

Instructions

  • To cook the quinoa: Combine the quinoa and water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then decrease the heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Cook for about 10 to 15 minutes until all the water has been absorbed. Remove from heat, cover, and let the quinoa steam for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork, and set aside to cool.
  • To toast the sunflower seeds or nuts: Place the sunflower seeds or nuts in a medium skillet. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently (careful, they’ll burn), until the seeds or nuts are fragrant and starting to turn lightly golden on the edges. Remove from skillet and set aside to cool.
  • In a large serving bowl combine the prepared romaine, carrots, cabbage, radishes and cranberries. Add the cooled quinoa and sunflower seeds to the bowl.
  • To prepare the dressing: In a blender or small food processor, combine all of the ingredients and blend well, pausing to scrape down the sides as necessary. Taste, and adjust as necessary — if it’s too tart, add a bit more maple syrup or agave.
  • Drizzle the salad dressing to lightly coat the salad and toss. Add more if necessary and serve.
  • Store any leftover salad separately from the dressing

Notes

Change it up: This salad is really flexible. You could use your greens of choice instead of romaine (if using kale remove the tough ribs and massage it before adding it to the bowl). You can also change up the chopped veggie components—you need about 2 1/2 cups total.
From: Cookie + Kate
https://cookieandkate.com