Crispy Quinoa Salad with Maple Tahini Dressing
Equipment
- 2 Medium Bowls
- Parchment Paper
- 1 Whisk
Ingredients
For the Salad:
- 1 ½ cups cooked quinoa
- Avocado oil
- ½ teaspoon dried herbes de Provence
- 1 ½ teaspoons garlic powder
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 10 oz. sweet potatoes peeled and cut in half lengthwise, then sliced into ¼-inch-thick half moons
- Maple Tahini Dressing recipe below
- 1 tablespoon water
- 5 oz. baby arugula
- ½ cup pomegranate seeds
For the Maple Tahini Dressing:
- ¼ cup tahini make sure you mix well to get some of the thicker paste at the bottom, if not you may need some more tahini
- Juice from 1 lemon
- 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 ½ tablespoons maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons hot sauce
- 7 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
For the Salad:
- Adjust two racks in the upper and lower third of the oven and preheat to 400°F.
- In a medium bowl, stir together the cooked quinoa, 1 ½ tablespoons avocado oil (double this amount if doubling the recipe), herbes de Provence, a third of the garlic powder, and a big pinch of Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- On a sheet pan, toss the sweet potato slices with 1 tablespoon avocado oil (double this amount if doubling the recipe), the remaining garlic powder, and a generous amount of Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Place the quinoa on the upper rack and the sweet potatoes on the bottom rack and roast for 20-25 minutes, mixing the quinoa halfway, until it’s golden and crispy and the sweet potatoes are tender. Remove from the oven and let cool. Taste crispy quinoa and season with more Kosher salt, if needed.
- Mix the Maple Tahini Dressing with the water to loosen it slightly. In a large bowl, combine the arugula, pomegranate seeds, sweet potatoes, and crispy quinoa with as much of the Maple Tahini Dressing as desired. Season with Kosher salt and toss to evenly combine.
For the Maple Tahini Dressing:
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the tahini, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, maple syrup, and hot sauce. While whisking, slowly drizzle in the olive oil. Taste and season with Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste. If dressing is too zesty for your taste, whisk in another tablespoon of olive oil.
Notes
Once dressed, salad is best served immediately.
Maple Tahini Dressing can be made up to 5 days ahead of time and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Let come to room temperature, whisk to combine, and season with additional salt and pepper, if needed, before serving.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!