Apricot and walnut quinoa salad with edamame beans

Our Mother's Day picnic wasn't, of course, limited to cherry ripe balls. The savoury fare included a jumbo green salad, bread rolls, crackers, a selection of cheeses and some herbed chicken. And, this apricot and walnut salad with associated edamame beans.

Apricot and walnut quinoa salad

I had originally intended to add the edamame beans to the salad, and if you buy edamame shelled, that would make sense. However, I really love eating edamame beans out of their pods! I also knew that not everyone in my family would eat quinoa, but thought everyone could enjoy edamame. As such, I served the beans alongside.

This is a relatively sweet salad, and it could work as a side dish or a stand-alone lunch. In addition to dried apricots and walnuts, it is flavoured with orange juice, soy sauce, chives and parsley. Carrot, pepper and sprouts round out the quinoa too.

I usually prefer white quinoa but ended up with this multi-coloured variety last time I restocked. For this salad, it worked really well. The colouring is attractive and red quinoa has a slight nuttiness that complements the apricots and walnuts. Obviously any variety of quinoa would work though, and you could use other grains too if you preferred.

Apricot and walnut quinoa salad with edamame beans

A flavour-packed salad that serves 8 as a generous side or 4 to 6 as a main

Vegan

Author: Bite-sized thoughts

Print recipe

Ingredients

1-1/2 cups quinoa, uncooked

3 cups of water

1 large carrot, diced

1 red or yellow pepper, chopped

1 small bunch parsley, chopped

1 small bunch chives, chopped

1/2 cup roughly chopped dried apricots

1/2 cup roughly chopped walnuts

Juice of 1 large orange (approximately 1/2 cup)

1 tsp soy sauce

Approximately 3/4 cup shelled edamame beans, or equivalent in pods

Sprouts, for serving

Method

Cook the quinoa in the water according to packet instructions. Half way through cooking, add the carrot and pepper to the pan and then continue cooking.

When the quinoa mix has cooked, allow to sit, covered, for at least 10 minutes. Remove from heat and mix through the chopped herbs, apricots, walnuts, orange juice and soy sauce. 

Serve with edamame beans and sprouts.

Submitted to Healthy Vegan Fridays.

Does anyone share my joy in eating edamame beans out of their pods?!

Tweet

Pin It