Beetroot and Quinoa Tabbouleh
A firm favourite of our course participants! Quinoa is gluten-free and packed with nutrients like protein, zinc, fibre, folate, and antioxidants. It doesn’t take long to prepare, and you can add it to your diet in both sweet and savoury dishes. Beetroot is rich in protective antioxidants, may have anti-inflammatory properties, may lower blood pressure and heart disease risk, may improve digestive health and protect the gut.
Ingredients
115g (4oz) quinoa
2-3 tbsp olive oil
230ml water or vegetable stock
2-3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 large red (or white) onions, chopped finely
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice + extra to taste
2 small raw beetroots, grated finely (about 200g/7 oz)
small handful of raisins - optional
handful of flat-leaf or curly parsley, finely chopped, plus extra to serve
sea salt and black pepper
edible flowers or pomegranate seeds to decorate - optional
Method
Put the quinoa in a sieve and rinse thoroughly under the cold tap. Add 2-3 tbsp olive oil into a pot and roast the quinoa for a minute. Then add 230 ml water or vegetable stock and bring to the boil.
Cover and leave to cook slowly and at the lowest heat for 18-20 minutes.
Remove from the heat and leave to stand, still covered for 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, warm the olive oil, add the onions, stir to coat with the oil, then cover and leave to cook gently for 10 minutes, or until very tender.
Stir the balsamic vinegar into the onions, let it bubble, then remove from the heat.
In a big bowl add the onion mix, the quinoa, lemon juice, beetroot, raisins if used, parsley, sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Scatter over a little more parsley and serve.
Serves 4-6
Tip - For a colourful presentation e.g. for a party, serve this salad on red or green salad or chard leaves.It’s delicious made the night before. This delicious recipe is so easy to make and keeps well for a couple of days in the fridge.