Nectarine Quinoa Salad

Recipe: Nectarine Quinoa Salad

Nectarine Quinoa Salad is a gluten free, vegan, colourful, bright, packed with flavours and textures kind of summery salad. With a homemade fresh ginger salad dressing, this is one salad you don’t want to miss out on. Each spoonful or should I say forkful reminded me of the apple mangoes back home. Yes, I have added nectarine but they were super sweet and almost reminded me of mangoes. I like the bite that the cooked quinoa adds to the salad but I have also tried it with couscous and it tastes equally good. And dare I mention that it is an adaptable salad. Besides quinoa and nectarine add other salad ingredients of your choice. If you’re not a fan of ginger salad dressing then go for a simple lemon vinaigrette.

Summer is at its peak this year, pretty hot almost reminds me of Mombasa. There are days when hubby and I don’t want to get out of the house after 10 a.m. The evenings become a bit cooler. However, this is the time of the year  I don’t feel like cooking too much. So quick, easy and yet filling salads becomes the norm. We’ve reached the letter Q in the alphabet challenge organized by Wendy. For this letter I had decided on using quinoa long time back. Then I came across this old post and it was begging for fresh photos. So here I am redoing and republishing an old recipe which I had posted on 07/09/2017. 

Q is for quinoa, quail eggs, quiche, quince, quark, quesadillas, queso, qatayef, Qatari Cuisine, etc.

For me Q is Quinoa.

Memories

September 2017 hubby and I were visiting my son in Montreal. Coming from Mombasa, fruits like nectarines, peaches, cherries, berries were a rarity. So you can image how much of these summer fruits we went through during our stay. Shopping at the Jean Talon and Atwater markets in Montreal is a foodies paradise. The bright, vibrant and fresh colors of the vegetables and fruits tempt the shoppers to overspend. I certainly go crazy when I visit the Jean Talon market which is about 30-40 minutes walk away from my son’s home. For hubby and me its like a child going to the fun fair. We visit all the stalls, breathe in the sweet smell, feast our eyes on the produces sold, gorge on a delicious buckwheat crepe, shop and walk back. During one of the visits to Jean Talon we bought a huge punnet of nectarines. But of course they all decide to ripen at the same time.

At that time I was participating in the Mega Blogging Marathon where I had chosen the theme “Protein Rich Dishes”. Being a vegetarian my plan was to showcase that vegetarians too can have protein rich meals that don’t include meat or fish. Obviously, protein rich  quinoa was one of the ingredients on my list. Ripe nectarines and quinoa resulted in a delicious and filling salad.

Why You Should Include Quinoa In Your Diet?

Quinoa is considered as a super grain. It has many health benefits:

• It is rich in protein and contains all nine essential amino acids.
•  Rich in magnesium which is essential for healthy heart, controls blood sugar and is necessary for nerve transmission.
• Did you know it is  rich in iron? Yes it is.
• Quinoa contains lysine which promotes tissue growth and repair.
•  Good for the digestive system as it is rich in fibre.
• A rich source of  manganese which helps to protect blood cells from injury.
• Also contains quercetin which has antiviral, anti inflammatory and anti cancer effects.
• For a  gluten free diet quinoa is an excellent choice.
•  A versatile grain as one can replace rice, can be used to bind other food products to make kebabs, burgers etc., can be used in salads, make desserts etc.

Some Recipes With Q That You May Like

QUINOA PANIYARAM

Quinoa Paniyaram is a healthy, protein rich, gluten free, vegetarian breakfast or snack dish. Usually enjoyed with some chutney, this delicious dish is filling. What I like about paniyarams is that they can be enjoyed hot or cold. Therefore it is ideal for lunchboxes too.

Check out this recipe

QUICK TAWA NAAN RECIPE

Quick Tawa Naan Recipe, comes in handy when you don't want to wait for the dough to ferment, don't want to switch the oven one and best part is that they turn out soft and delicious. This quick naan recipe uses baking agents and yogurt.

Check out this recipe

QUINOA BURRITO BOWL SALAD

Quinoa Burrito Bowl Salad is a healthier way of enjoying burrito without all that extra rice, wrap and too many processed sauces. Quinoa replaces the rice, making this salad more protein rich and healthier without compromising on the overall flavour.

Check out this recipe

QUINOA DHOKLA

Quinoa Dhokla is a gluten free, protein rich, healthy snack or breakfast option. Easy to make, these spongy, melt in the mouth dhokla are a good way to include protein rich quinoa in your family's diet. And the best part is that they taste good whether they are hot or cold. This makes them ideal as lunch box snack option also.

Check out this recipe

QUINOA TANGERINE SALAD

Quinoa Tangerine Salad is a very colourful, flavourful, protein rich and filling salad. Not difficult at all to make, add ingredients of your choice. Colour, different textures and taste makes any salad appealing for fussy eaters. What I like about this salad is that is can easily be enjoyed as a light meal or for picnics. Easy to make for potluck parties. 

Check out this recipe

CHICKPEA & QUINOA BURGERS

Chickpea & Quinoa Burgers are protein rich with delicious savoury flavours, healthy and filling too. Served with hummus, salad leaves, tomato, cucumber, onion and cheese, it is an excellent way to add vegetables to your family's diet.

Check out this recipe

QUBANI NAAN

Qubani Naan is a sweetish exotic Mughlai flatbread with dried apricot,poppy seeds, cardamom & saffron. Usually served with a spicy curry.

Check out this recipe

BEAN & CORN QUESADILLA

Quesadillas! Who doesn’t go mad over crispy tortillas stuffed with cheesy goodness? A versatile dish, one can stuff it with meat, seafood or vegetables. Serve it with guacamole, salsa or any dip or sauce of your choice. The possibilities are endless.

Check out this recipe

QUINOA TABBOULEH SALAD

Quinoa Tabbouleh is a different version of the famous Classic Middle Eastern Salad. Bulgur wheat is replaced by protein rich quinoa which adds a lovely nutty kind of flavour to the salad. A healthy, filling, gluten free, vegan salad that is perfect served with pita bread or enjoyed on its own as a light meal.

Check out this recipe

Q Recipes By Members Of  The Group

Food Lust People Love: Shrimp and Quail Egg Garden Salad
Sneha’s Recipe: Quinoa Idli
Jolene’s Recipe Journal: Blueberry Banana Quick Bread
Karen’s Kitchen Stories: Sourdough Quinoa Bread
A Messy Kitchen: Roasted Cauliflower Quiche
Mayuri’s Jikoni: Nectarine Quinoa Salad
A Day in the Life on the Farm: Shrimp Fajita Quesadillas
Magical Ingredients: Queso Dip
CUlinary Cam: Quince Sharlotka
Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice: Parmesan Potato & Zucchini Crustless Quiche
Blogghetti: Ham and Broccoli Quiche

Quinoa

Use any quinoa of your choice – white, red, black or mixed. We need to rinse the quinoa in several changes of water to remove saponins. Rub the quinoa in water gently between your fingers to remove the bitter coating. General rule for cooking quinoa is you need 2 parts of water for every one part quinoa. It usually gets cooked within 20 minutes.

Water

We need some watch to blanch the beans and to cook the quinoa.

Nectarine

Use ripe but firm nectarines so that the salad does not go all mushy, Wash the nectarines, cut into halves. Remove the stone and chop the nectarines into small pieces.

Green Beans

Also known as French beans, string beans, snap beans, haricots verts. I usually use green beans but this time I got the yellow ones. So I have used those. Blanch the beans in hot water for 3-5 minutes. Remove them from the hot water and keep it in ice water.

Onion

For this salad I like using red onion. Peel and chop the onion finely. You can use white or yellow if you like.

Sweet Corn

Use fresh, tinned or frozen corn. I have used frozen corn which I cooked in the microwave oven for 2 minutes.

Cucumber

I have used Persian Cucumber which has tender skin. Dice the cucumber.

Olive Oil

Use good quality olive oil for the salad dressing.

Fresh Ginger

Fresh ginger, peeled and grated or minced.

Lemon

I have used freshly squeezed lemon as it adds so much flavour to the salad dressing.

Salt

Add according to your taste.

Black Pepper

Freshly cracked pepper tastes too good.

Maple Syrup | Honey

Add honey or maple syrup to the salad dressing. For a vegan salad use maple syrup.

Basil