Grain salad with puffed red quinoa and labneh
Enjoy a delightful mix of flavors and textures in this grain salad with crisp puffed red quinoa and creamy labneh. Perfect for a fresh and wholesome meal.
Ingredients:
- cups cooked red quinoa (from about ½ cup dried)
- tablespoons vegetable oil
- teaspoon sugar
- cup olive oil, plus more
- tablespoons fresh lemon juice, plus more
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- large shallot, finely chopped
- tablespoons chopped fresh chives
- cups cooked grains (such as farro, amaranth, bulgur, and/or barley; from about 1 cup dried)
- cup labneh (Lebanese strained yogurt) or plain Greek yogurt
- cups mild sprouts (such as pea and/or sunflower), divided
- Flaky sea salt (such as Maldon)
Instructions:
- Preheat your oven to 200°. Evenly distribute ½ cup of cooked quinoa on a baking sheet with raised edges and bake. Stir occasionally until the quinoa is dehydrated and doesn't stick together anymore, for about 30 to 45 minutes.
- In a large saucepan, heat vegetable oil over medium-high heat until it's almost smoking (the oil should be very hot). Remove the saucepan from the heat, add the dried quinoa, and quickly cover it. Cook by shaking the saucepan vigorously until the quinoa puffs up, which should happen almost instantly. Then, transfer the quinoa to paper towels to drain.
- In a medium bowl, mix together sugar, ½ cup of olive oil, and 3 tablespoons of lemon juice. Add kosher salt and pepper to season. Combine shallot, chives, cooked grains, the remaining 1 cup of cooked quinoa, and half of the puffed quinoa into the mixture. Season again with kosher salt and pepper.
- On plates, spread a layer of labneh. Place the salad on top along with sprouts and the remaining puffed quinoa. Drizzle with oil and lemon juice, and season with sea salt.
Summary:
- Calories: 3237 kcal
- Fat: 159 g
- Protein: 85 g
- Carbs: 401 g
- Potassium: 2536 mg
- Magnesium: 915 mg