Calgary’s Roasted Root, Spiced Pecan and Quinoa Salad

You’ll know by now that I’m a huge fan of quinoa. Any ‘good grain’ (or ‘pseudo-grain’ in this case) that is this tasty, versatile and contains protein is a winner in my book. This is one of my favourite quinoa salad recipes to make for Sunday lunch with friends or a dinner when I’m expecting a large group (as it’s easy to double or triple this recipe). For extra-gorgeous presentation, use both yellow and red beetroot if you can source them.

Serve 4 as a light lunch, or 6-8 as a side

Ingredients
For the salad
500ml vegetable stock or water
200g uncooked white or red quinoa, rinsed
2tsp cumin
3 large raw beetroot, scrubbed but not peeled, chopped into 2cm chunks
1 medium butternut squash, chopped into 2cm chunks
drizzle of olive oil
2 tsp dried rosemary
100g spiced pecans
20 mint leaves, roughly chopped
salt and pepper

For the lemon vinaigrette
½tsp lemon zest, finely grated
2tbsp fresh lemon juice
½tsp extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper

Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas 4. In a medium-sized saucepan, add the vegetable stock or water, quinoa and cumin and cook as per the packet instructions – it should take 12-15 minutes.

Pop the beetroot and butternut squash on a baking sheet and drizzle both with olive oil, then add salt and pepper and the dried rosemary. Place in the oven for 30-40 minutes, until cooked through but not mushy.

While the root vegetables are cooking, whisk together all of the ingredients for the lemon vinaigrette in a bowl and pop in the fridge until ready to pour.

Once the quinoa and vegetables are cooked, let each cool for 10 minutes.

In a large bowl, mix together the quinoa and vegetables with 50g of spiced pecans and the mint leaves.

Drizzle on the lemon vinaigrette and toss everything together. Top with the remaining pecans and serve.

Extracted from Keep It Real by Calgary Avansino, published by Yellow Kite, £25

Photography by Kristin Perers