I go through a love-hate relationship with quinoa. I’ll go through phases where I make a batch every week and eat it up for quick lunches or dinners but then I’ll go months without making it.

After a pretty long quinoa dry spell, I needed something enticing to bring it back into my life. And I decided that something would be quinoa spring salad.

I combined cooked quinoa with a bright vinaigrette and then topped it with sauteed leeks and asparagus with some salty feta cheese and shrimp for extra protein and flavor. It was delicious! Since most of it can be made ahead of time, it is perfect for rushed weeknight dinners or packed lunches.

 

Spring Quinoa Salad

by Emily Dingmann

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 50 minutes

 

Ingredients (4 servings)

  • 1 cup dry quinoa
  • juice from one lemon
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil
  • seasonings to taste: red pepper flakes, salt & pepper
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 medium sized leeks, thinly sliced
  • 1 lb asparagus, trimmed and chopped into 1 inch pieces
  • 1 lb shrimp

Instructions

Prepare quinoa as directed and set aside.

Whisk together lemon juice, olive oil and seasonings. Toss with quinoa.

Add 2 Tbsp olive oil to hot pan.

Add garlic and stir for about 1 minute. Add leeks and asparagus, cooking for about 3-4 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat pan to saute shrimp. Saute until cooked through or hot.

Toss leek mixture with quinoa.

Top with shrimp and serve immediately.

Top with goat or feta cheese crumbles if desired.

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categories: dinner, fiber, gluten-free, leeks, lunch, protein, salad, seafood, vegetables, whole foods, whole grains11 comments

I was visiting some friends at Intelligentsia (super cool coffee shop) a few weeks ago and I decided to stay and work through lunch after they left. There was a farro salad on the menu which sounded amazing.

I normally don’t order grain salads when I’m out, but the Warm Farro & Artichoke Salad on their menu sounded too good. As luck would have it they were out, so I had the pear salad (also delicious) but I couldn’t get the Farro & Artichoke Salad out of my mind. And when that happens, I usually find myself needing to make it the following day.

You may be wondering – what is farro? It was certainly my first time cooking with farro and I’m not even so sure that I had ever eaten it before! Farro is a whole grain that is similar to barley. It has a nice chew to it – like al dente pasta – and is related to wheat. Nutritionally speaking, farro has 100 cal, 27 g carbohydrates, 3.5 g fiber, 4 g protein per 1/2 cup cooked. More fiber than quinoa and almost as much protein!

This warm grain salad, with marinated artichokes, shallots, leeks and parmesan was just the salad I was craving. And it was really good. Really good! I packed it in Richie’s lunch (yes, I pack his lunch), I ate it for lunch, I ate it for brunch with wilted arugula and a fried egg on top (amazing!) and we ate it alongside vegetables for dinner.

 

 

Warm Farro & Artichoke Salad

by Emily Dingmann

Prep Time: 10 min

Cook Time: 30 min

 

Ingredients (4-6 servings)

  • 1 cup farro
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1 small leek, thinly sliced
  • 1 shallot, thinly sliced
  • 1 1/2 cups artichokes, roughly chopped (I used marinated artichokes)
  • 1 lemon
  • 1 Tbsp olive oil
  • salt & pepper
  • parmesan cheese
  • parsley for garnish

Instructions

Bring farro and water to a boil.

Lower to a simmer, cover and cook for about 30-40 min, until tender and all water has been absorbed.

Heat oil in pan.

Add shallots and leeks, sauteing for about 3 minutes.

Add artichokes and cook for another 2 minutes.

Remove from heat and set aside.

Whisk together juice of lemon, olive oil and salt & pepper.

Toss farro, artichoke mixture and dressing together.

Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and fresh parsley.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

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categories: cheese, fiber, leeks, lunch, pasta, salad, whole foods, whole grains14 comments