I know... this is billed as a winter salad, so why did I propose it and why am I posting about it in September?! Aside from my yearning for fall temperatures, this winter citrus-grain salad is really refreshing and full of bright flavors that are perfect for any time of year.
Nutrition Stripped was an impulse cookbook buy, because the pre-order price was so low I felt like it wouldn't even need that many good recipes to justify the price. There are some things I don't love about the cookbook - I'm not a huge fan of life advice and philosophy taking up precious space in my cookbooks - but it's brief and there are a lot of intriguing {vegan & gluten-free} recipes in it. Plus, at least it was written by an actual RN, rather than someone who had a health "epiphany" and has amassed lots of followers for no good reason I can discern.
So far I've tested two recipes - the Blackberry Sumac Sunflower Seed Muffins and this Winter Citrus-Grain Salad. The muffins were adorable, but didn't taste like blackberry at all and had a strange mousse texture to them. Everyone at work tried (and finished) them, dubbing them "not bad but a little strange". No one asked for the recipe or a repeat baking.
On the other hand, I liked this salad quite a bit. All the components of the salad go together, it has great visual and textural contrast, and it doesn't take too much time to prepare. The major time commitment is in segmenting the citrus fruits, which can be accomplished while the quinoa cooks and cools to room temperature. I opted to take the easy route, cut my citrus in half, and used my grapefruit spoon to extract the fruit segments from the pith/peel of the grapefruit and orange.
I really enjoyed this salad and I think McKel's winter citrus-grain salad is a salad everyone will enjoy... with one caveat. The dressing is really bright and tangy, but it might be too tangy for some people, especially if your grapefruit and orange aren't quite ripe. Ground sumac adds a nice lemony tang when used in marinades and dressings, but many dressings pair it with a little added sweetness (in the form of pomegranate molasses or honey). Taste the dressing after you whisk it together, and if you find the dressing too tangy or sour, try whisking in a teaspoon or so of runny honey to the dressing. If you need to add some sweetness once the salad has been dressed, simply drizzle in honey or pomegranate molasses and toss to combine.
Winter Citrus-Grain Salad
Ingredients
- 1 cup quinoa black or red*
- 2 cups vegetable stock
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
- Juice of 2 medium lemons ¼-1/2 cup
- 1-2 teaspoons ground sumac**
- 1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ cup hemp seeds***
- 1 large navel orange peeled and segmented, cut into bite-size chunks
- 1 large grapefruit peeled and segmented, cut into bite-size chunks
- 1 Granny Smith apple cored and diced
- ½ cup pomegranate seeds
- 2 cups cooked chickpeas or 1 15 ounce can, drained and rinsed
- 2 cups watercress or arugula
Instructions
- Rinse quinoa with cold water, then drain. Bring stock to boil in a medium pan, add in the quinoa, then simmer 15 minutes or until soft. Drain water from quinoa and set aside to cool to room temperature.
- In a small bowl, combine the oil, vinegar, lemon juice, sumac, salt, and pepper. Taste and adjust as necessary.
- In a large bowl, add the quinoa, hemp seeds, citrus segments, apple, pomegranate seeds, chickpeas. Toss gently to distribute evenly. Add the watercress, then the dressing. Toss gently to combine.
- Serve as is, or double the amount of greens (using a mix, baby spinach, baby kale, or another favorite) and/or a protein (like poached chicken or salmon) for a more filling meal.
- This salad will keep in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for one week.
Notes
**Don't forget to taste-test to determine your personal affinity for sumac in the dressing.
***Feel free to omit the hemp hearts if desired (I did).
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