This is a delicious nutritious salad, packed with quinoa’s protein and iron and the beautiful sweetness of beets. The best part is this salad won’t get soggy so you can make it and refrigerate it a few days in your fridge or bring it to work!
INGREDIENTS
- 3 small beets (about 8 ounces), with an inch of stem left on, scrubbed
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup quinoa, well rinsed
- 2 stalks celery, cut into 1/4-inch dice (about 1 cup)
- 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
- 1/3 cup snipped fresh chives, plus more for garnish
- 1 shallot, peeled and minced
- 3 tablespoons Sinai Gourmet South Carolina BBQ Sauce
- 1 seedless cucumber, sliced diagonally
- 1 Belgian endive, leaves separated
STEPS
- Place beets in a small saucepan with 4 cups cold water and the salt. Bring to a boil over high heat, and simmer for 40 to 50 minutes, or until a knife inserted into beets goes in and slides out easily. Remove beets with a slotted spoon and cool; save 1 cup of cooking water.
- Peel cooled beets; cut into 1/4-inch dice. (If you have dish or latex gloves handy we suggest you use them to peel beets as beets will stain your fingers!)
- Return reserved cooking water to saucepan and add quinoa. Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer for 13 to 15 minutes, or until most of the liquid is absorbed. Let sit, covered, for 5 minutes. Uncover and let cool completely.
- Combine beets and quinoa with all remaining ingredients [except cucumber slices and endive leaves] in a small mixing bowl. Mix in Sinai Gourmet South Carolina BBQ . Arrange salad in a large bowl and garnish with chives, cucumber slices, and endive leaves along the edges.
- Serve chilled or at room temperature.
COOK’S NOTE: Quinoa takes about 15 minutes to cook. It also stores very well. So feel free to cook extra to snack on during the week!
