Warm quinoa salad

In Oriental Medicine, ones diet should change according to the seasons and the changing needs of the body. It’s not only important to eat seasonal foods, but also adapting the type of dishes we eat and cooking method to the seasons. Now that it’s autumn and temperatures have dropped, according to Traditional Chinese Medicine, our diet should be more yang, meaning warm. In order to maintain a healthy balance in the organism, as well as keeping the body warm to strengthen the immune system, we must eat warmer dishes that heat the body up from the inside and are nourishing.

This warm quinoa salad is perfect for this season. It’s nutritious, satisfying and a good alternative to regular salads, which tend to be more yin as they cool the body down, the opposite of what we should be doing in autumn/winter.

Warm Quinoa Salad

Ingredients

• 1 cup quinoa
• 2 cups spring water
• 2.5 cm strip kombu
• 2 cups sweet corn or peas
• 1 tbsp freshly grated lemon zest
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tbsp chopped basil
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 celery stalk finely diced
• ½ cup drained and diced roasted red peppers
• 1/4 cup chopped walnuts, preferably toasted

Preparation

• Toast the quinoa in a dry frying pan over a medium heat, stirring often, until it becomes aromatic (about 5 minutes).
• Meanwhile, bring water and kombu to a boil in a pan over a medium heat.
• Add the quinoa and return to a boil.
• Cover, reduce heat to a simmer and cook gently for 10 minutes.
• Remove the lid and, without disturbing the quinoa, add the sweet corn. Cover and continue to cook until the corn and quinoa are tender, 5 minutes longer.
• Whisk the lemon zest, lemon juice, oil, basil and salt in a large bowl. Add the celery, and peppers, to the quinoa mixture. Toss to combine. Serve with chopped walnuts.

Give this delicious autumn quinoa salad perfect for the colder months a try! It can be eaten as a main or as a side dish!