This warm quinoa salad brings together roasted sweet potato cubes, tender dandelion greens (or another leafy green of your choice), thinly sliced scallions, and tangy dried cranberries. It’s finished with a dairy-free Creamy Dill Dressing and comes together quickly for an easy, nourishing meal.
The flavors balance beautifully: the sweet potato and cranberries lend sweetness, the dandelion greens add a pleasant bitter note, and the creamy dill ties everything together. Serve it warm as a side or enjoy it as a main for lunch. It’s elegant enough for a holiday table but relaxed enough for weeknight dinners or potlucks. I like it best when slightly warm, though leftovers are delicious straight from the fridge.
People following varied diets — from vegans to omnivores — enjoy this salad. If desired, there’s an optional omnivore variation that’s easy to add at the end.
Method Overview
- Prepare the dressing ingredients, using a high-speed blender if available (or pre-soak/precook cashews if not).
- Steam the cubed sweet potatoes and cook the quinoa; time them so both finish around the same moment.
- Wash and chop the dandelion greens (or substitute spinach or arugula) and slice the scallions.
- Blend the dressing until smooth, then toss it gently with the warm quinoa, sweet potatoes, greens, scallions, and dried cranberries.
Dandelion Musings
Bitter greens like dandelion awaken the palate after winter and add a lively contrast to sweeter ingredients. I spotted fresh dandelion greens at the market and they inspired this salad. If dandelion greens aren’t available, spinach or arugula work very well; each will create a slightly different but equally tasty result.
The combination of sweet potato, tangy cranberries, and a creamy herb dressing makes this dish satisfying and bright. It’s flexible, nutritious, and easy to adapt for different occasions or tastes.
Dandelion greens are rich in beta carotene (a precursor to vitamin A), vitamin C, iron, calcium, and potassium. They have diuretic properties that can help support kidney and liver function and, like other bitter greens, they stimulate bile production to aid digestion.
Warm Quinoa Salad
6 side-dish servings
Equipment
- covered pan with steaming basket
- pan for cooking quinoa
- high-speed blender (or other blender)
Ingredients
To make the Creamy Dill Dressing
- 2/3 cup raw cashews
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 Tablespoons chopped fresh dill weed (or 1 to 1-1/2 teaspoons dried dill)
- 1/2 teaspoon Himalayan sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon Judy’s Sage and Rosemary Blend (optional)
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
To make the Warm Quinoa Salad
- 1 large sweet potato, cubed
- 1 cup dry quinoa
- 1/4 pound dandelion greens
- 4 to 5 scallions, sliced thin
- 1/4 cup dried cranberries
Instructions
- Place all dressing ingredients into a blender and set aside without blending yet. If you don’t have a high-speed blender, presoak or precook the cashews first (see notes).
- Steam the cubed sweet potato until tender when pierced with a paring knife.
- While the sweet potato steams, rinse the quinoa and cook it. If you prefer, use the pasta-method for cooking quinoa: bring to a boil, simmer until tender, then drain. Try to time the quinoa so it finishes as the sweet potato becomes tender.
- Meanwhile, wash and drain the dandelion greens. Remove and save the stems for another use if desired, then chop the leaves into thin slices and place them in a large serving bowl.
- Add the hot cooked quinoa and sweet potatoes to the bowl with the chopped greens; the residual heat will wilt the leaves nicely. Add the sliced scallions and dried cranberries.
- Blend the dressing until smooth, scraping the blender jar as needed. If using a high-speed blender, the dressing may become warm and steamy. Pour the dressing over the salad, fold gently until combined, and serve warm.
Notes
- You can substitute chopped spinach or arugula if you prefer a milder green in place of dandelion.
- If you don’t have a high-speed blender, presoak or precook the cashews so they blend into a smooth dressing:
- To presoak: cover cashews with at least 1-1/3 cups water and refrigerate for 3 hours or overnight; drain and rinse before using.
- To precook: simmer cashews in at least 1-1/3 cups water for 15 minutes; drain and rinse before using.
- To make a simple Sage and Rosemary Blend, grind equal parts dried sage and dried rosemary until fine.
Nutrition
| Carbohydrates: 41 g
| Protein: 8 g
| Fat: 8 g
| Saturated Fat: 1 g
| Sodium: 194 mg
| Potassium: 571 mg
| Fiber: 5 g
| Sugar: 7 g
| Vitamin A: 10054 IU
| Vitamin C: 12 mg
| Calcium: 79 mg
| Iron: 3 mg
Optional Omnivore Variation
For those who enjoy seafood, add a few pieces of cooked, cut-up shrimp to individual portions just before serving to introduce a light protein without changing the overall flavor profile of the salad.
If you like this Warm Quinoa Salad, you might also enjoy trying a quinoa-stuffed tomato recipe for another flavorful way to use quinoa.