I’m sure you agree – springtime is magical. After months of a long and cold winter, nature blooms again. You see bright green shoots coming out of the ground, birds singing and the sun shining. This is the time when nature gives its essence so we can nourish ourselves after the dark and cold months. So today I’m sharing a healing, wholesome and very delicious recipe – wild green quinoa salad.
Spring is the time when we, humans, need to recharge ourselves. If you have a chance, walk in the forest to breathe in that spring freshness. Stand in the sun for a while to get yourself some vitamin D. And eat greens. Lots of them!
If you’re lucky to grow your own garden, you probably now that in spring it’s full of baby greens – dandelions, ground elder, wild garlic and others. And quite a few of these greens are edible and super nutritious. So that’s how I came up with wild green quinoa salad.
This salad is highly adjustable. The base is made from quinoa, but you could also use bulgur or brown rice. As a staple green I used spinach, but you can use other greens as well. For spring additions, I mixed in greens that I found in my garden – ground elder, dandelion leaves and ramsons. You can add any edible greens that you find in your garden or local area.
Ground elder, also known as bishop’s weed, contains vitamin C, provitamin A, and the minerals calcium, magnesium, potassium and silicic acid. These all aid in removing acid from the blood, alkalizing our system.
Dandelion leaf is loaded with beneficial antioxidants that produce a range of positive effects on our health, including protection for the cardiovascular system. But ramsons also know as wild garlic, is rich in minerals and vitamin C and works great for lowering high blood pressure and cholesterol.
To make a big bowl of wild green quinoa salad, you’ll need:
- 1 cup of uncooked quinoa
- 200 g of fresh spinach
- 1 celery stalk
- 1 tomato
- 2 tbsp of chopped sun dried tomato
- 1 red paprika
- 2 handfuls of mixed ground elder, dandelion, and ramsons
- 1 avocado
- 1 tbsp. of apple cider vinegar
- a handful of parsley
- a splash of extra virgin olive oil (or other)
- salt and pepper to taste
- optional: sesame seeds, reddish micro greens, and pea shoots
Directions:
- Cook the quinoa. Bring to boil 2 cups of water, add the quinoa and let it cook on medium heat for about 20 minutes until all water is absorbed.
- In a large bowl, mix all greens and sun dried tomatoes. Chop the tomato and paprika and add to the bowl.
- Stir in the cooked quinoa, add the olive oil, apple cider vinegar, and seasoning.
- Finally, I topped my salad with some sesame seeds and pea shoots. Serve the salads alone or with toasted bread.
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