Sweet Quinoa Salad with Ramp and Rhubarb Dressing Recipe

May 08, 2012 @ 10:09 AM
Posted by Amie Valpone, Special Contributor

Nutrition

Cal/Serving: 575
Daily Value: 29%
Servings: 4

High-Fiber
Vegetarian, Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, Wheat-Free

Fat	34g	53%
Saturated	3g	16%
Trans	0g	0%
Carbs	64g	21%
Fiber	13g	50%
Sugars	34g	0%
Protein	10g	20%
Sodium	409mg	17%
Calcium	169mg	17%
Magnesium	122mg	31%
Potassium	1468mg	42%
Iron	4mg	25%
Zinc	2mg	13%
Vitamin A	16113IU	322%
Vitamin C	52mg	87%
Thiamin (B1)	0mg	21%
Riboflavin (B2)	0mg	17%
Niacin (B3)	3mg	13%
Vitamin B6	1mg	31%
Folic Acid (B9)	217µg	54%
Vitamin E	3mg	15%
Vitamin K	152µg	190%
Fatty acids, total monounsaturated	8g	0%
Fatty acids, total polyunsaturated	20g	0%

See Detailed Nutritional Info

Have a question about the nutrition data? Let us know.

Exclusive from The Daily Meal

Big-Batch Roast Chicken

Here's an idea: Do a mix-and-match. Make up a couple of different seasoning mixtures and roast...

Multigrain Turkey-Mango Club Sandwich

Think all club sandwiches are created equal? Think again because this one is a keeper. No...

General Tso's Chicken

Deep-frying is a method I prefer to avoid for everyday cooking, but this is one of the dishes for...

Popular Recipes

More Recipes By Amie Valpone

Sweet Quinoa Salad with Ramp and Rhubarb Dressing

Amie Valpone

Another salad recipe but I assure you it’s worth it. This salad pairs perfectly with grilled tofu, fish, chicken, and burgers.

The ramps in my dressing recipe are only in season for a short time — so be sure to toss them into your basket before they’re out of season in a few weeks. If you go beyond that — you can substitute them with scallions.

The ingredients are quite unique; I’m not going to lie. But don’t let that deter you — this dish is a crowd-pleaser and a taste-bud-pleaser, too. It’s a nice array of fresh fruit, quinoa, and veggies atop a delicate bed of Bibb lettuce — which I am loving lately. It’s so dainty and soft… kind of like a big green cloud. If you can’t find Bibb lettuce at your farmers market, I suggest using red leaf lettuce instead. But, search long and hard for the Bibb; it’s worth the drive and the gas money looking for it.

This dish is one that I find myself going back for "just one more bite" after I’ve cleaned the table and washed the dishes. Somehow a fork magically gets pulled out of the drawer and I kind of pick out a few pieces and pop them into my mouth.

It’s magic, I tell 'ya. Pure magic. Go ahead — watch it happen right in your very own kitchen. You may not be able to put down that fork.

See all quinoa recipes.

INGREDIENTS

For the dressing:

1/4 cup agave nectar or honey
1/3 cup green tea, brewed
4 stalks rhubarb, sliced
2 ramps, sliced
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon spicy brown mustard
1/2 cup flaxseed oil

For the salad:

2 heads Bibb lettuce
1 1/2 cups red quinoa, cooked
1 cup daikon radish, shredded
1 cup purple cabbage, shredded
1/2 medium-sized red onion, sliced
1 large carrot, shredded
1 Red Delicious apple, sliced
1 pint orange cherry tomatoes
1/2 cup canned pumpkin, for serving
1 cup strained tomato sauce, preferably Pomi, for serving
1/3 cup salted pistachios, for serving

DIRECTIONS

For the dressing:

In a medium-sized saucepan, stir together the agave nectar and brewed green tea and bring to a boil. Then, add the rhubarb and ramps. Boil for 4 more minutes, stirring often. Reduce the heat to a simmer and add the apple cider vinegar and cook until the liquid is reduced by ½ and the rhubarb is tender, about 12 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.

Transfer the rhubarb mixture to a food processor with the remaining dressing ingredients and pulse until smooth.

For the salad:

Assemble the first 8 salad ingredients in a large salad bowl. Serve the dressing warm or chilled atop the salad. Top with some of the pumpkin, strained tomato sauce, and pistachios. Enjoy.