Broccoli and Quinoa Salad
I love this recipe for just about a billion reasons. Here are a few of those reasons:
- It uses three dishes, so clean up is simple.
- The salad comes together in under half an hour. And when I know I won’t have the strength to get through cooking for even thirty minutes while the kids are running around the kitchen, I can throw it together during their naps, store it in the fridge, and serve it cold for dinner.
- It’s healthy. Protein? ✓ Vitamins? ✓ Vegetarian? ✓ Green stuff? ✓
- My kids will (sometimes) eat it. Sometimes the meal is over and there is a pile of half chewed broccoli on the table, sometimes my toddler is licking the plate clean. It really just depends on her mood.
- Plating is no-fuss. Just take a giant spoon and pile it on the dish. No additional chopping. No distracting sauces.
An important note: I used my instant pot for this recipe and it greatly reduces the cook time. Of course, it’s not necessary. If you do own an instant pot, you can follow the recipe as is and the quinoa will be ready before you’re done prepping and cooking the broccoli. If you don’t, no worries! I would simply budget a bit more passive cooking time.
Quinoa Broccoli Salad
Ingredients
- 1 cup quinoa, rinsed
- 1 1/4 cup water *If using stovetop, you will ned 2 cups water
- 3 small heads of broccoli, rinsed
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 handful spinach, washed
- 1/2 cup Greek yoghurt
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon grainy mustard
- 3 tablespoons milk
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- zest from one lemon
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Prepare the quinoa.
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Combine quinoa and water in the Instant Pot. Set to High Pressure and pressure cook for 1 minute. Use natural release.
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Alternatively: combine quinoa and 2 cups of water in a pot over medium heat. Simmer for 10-15 minutes or until fluffy.
Prepare the broccoli.
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Finely chop the broccoli.
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Sauté in a skillet with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, stirring frequently.
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Finely chop the spinach. Add it to the broccoli. Sprinkle with salt and cook until the spinach is just wilted and the broccoli is tender but still bright green (about 5 minutes).
Prepare the dressing.
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Whisk together the yoghurt, salt, mustard, milk, lemon juice, lemon zest, and 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add black pepper to taste.
Assemble.
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Stir together the quinoa and broccoli.
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Drizzle entirety of dressing on top and stir to combine. Serve and enjoy!
Recipe Notes
- Coconut milk is a great substitution for cow’s milk here.
- This dish can be refrigerated for up to a week, and it only gets better!
- This dish can be served warm or cold, depending on your stress levels and children’s decibel levels at time of serving.
- It makes enough to serve four as a small entree or side dish. Will serve two with very generous portions.
