Root Quinoa Salad (Printable)

Earthy quinoa combined with roasted root veggies and zesty dressing for a hearty, nutritious meal.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Grains

01 - 1 cup quinoa, rinsed
02 - 2 cups water

→ Root Vegetables

03 - 1 medium sweet potato, peeled and diced
04 - 2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
05 - 1 small parsnip, peeled and diced
06 - 1 small beet, peeled and diced

→ Dressing

07 - 3 tablespoons olive oil
08 - 2 tablespoons lemon juice
09 - 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
10 - 1 teaspoon honey or maple syrup
11 - 1 garlic clove, minced
12 - Salt and black pepper, to taste

→ Add-Ins

13 - 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
14 - 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese (optional)
15 - 1/4 cup toasted pumpkin seeds

# How-To Steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
02 - Toss diced root vegetables with 1 tablespoon olive oil, salt, and pepper. Spread on baking sheet and roast for 25-30 minutes, stirring once, until tender and lightly browned.
03 - Combine quinoa and water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes until water is absorbed. Remove from heat and let stand 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork.
04 - Whisk together remaining olive oil, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, honey, garlic, salt, and pepper in a small bowl.
05 - In a large bowl, combine cooked quinoa, roasted vegetables, parsley, and pumpkin seeds. Add dressing and toss gently to combine.
06 - Top with crumbled feta cheese if using. Serve warm, at room temperature, or chilled.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The roasted vegetables become candy sweet while maintaining their satisfying bite
  • It actually tastes better the next day making it perfect for meal prep
  • The combination of warm and cold elements creates the most satisfying texture contrast
02 -
  • Dicing all root vegetables to the same size is crucial so they finish roasting at the same time
  • Letting the quinoa stand covered for 5 minutes off the heat makes it perfectly fluffy every time
03 -
  • Skip peeling the vegetables if they are organic and thin skinned, just scrub them well instead
  • Use a large bowl when tossing everything together so you do not crush the roasted vegetables

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