This healthy Beetroot and Quinoa salad is a fresh and flavourful dish combining sweet beetroot, creamy feta, crunchy walnuts and aromatic mint leaves tossed in a simple lemon and olive oil vinaigrette.
This salad makes a substantial and economical side dish with little effort required!
When the weather starts to warm up, I'm soooo ready to embrace fresh spring and summer vegetables with a variety of salads again.
This beetroot and quinoa salad has a full array of textures and flavours - the sweet and earthy taste of beetroot, the nuttiness of quinoa and crunchy walnut pieces, fresh mint leaves and mild and creamy feta, all dressed in a simple yet sharp lemon and olive oil vinaigrette!
You're going to LOVE it!!
Looking for more delicious salad recipes? Try these!
My creamy broccoli and bacon salad is a tried and true favourite of mine, along with the delicious Cypriot grain salad - always a stunning crowd pleaser!
Similarly, you cannot go past my creamy potato, egg and bacon salad for a favourite with the kids!
Why You're Going To Love This Recipe
Packed with colour and flavour, beetroot salad with quinoa and feta is not seasonal, it can be made at anytime of the year!
- Healthy - this salad is bursting with nutritious beetroot and quinoa, and rather than a creamy dressing, it is dressed in a simple lemon and olive oil vinaigrette.
- Substantial side dish or meal - quinoa is high in protein and contains more fibre than many other grains. Combined with beetroot, this salad makes a substantial meal on its own or as a side dish. A great salad to make when you have a few extras to feed!
- Budget friendly - beetroot and quinoa salad can be made all through the year by using store-bought cooked beetroot, and all other ingredients required are very economical to purchase too.
- Leftovers make a great lunchbox salad - this beetroot and quinoa salad will keep well in the fridge for 2-3 days, so leftovers are handy to pack and take to work the next day.
What You Need
Whether you're lucky enough to have freshly cooked beetroot, or are using store bought (which are perfectly suitable too!), this salad is quick and easy to assemble.
Note: Scroll to the recipe card at the bottom for the ingredients quantities and full detailed method.
For The Salad
- Quinoa - uncooked and rinsed well.
- Water.
- Beetroot - approximately 4 medium beetroot, either freshly cooked or roasted, or use store bought for convenience. Most supermarkets sell cooked baby beets vacuum sealed in the fruit and veggie section, otherwise canned baby beets are suitable to use. Drain them well.
- Walnuts - roughly chopped.
- Fresh mint leaves - washed and roughly chopped.
- Soft feta or goat cheese - I used a soft goat cheese for ultra creaminess, but any soft feta is suitable to crumble over this salad.
For The Vinaigrette
- Lemon juice - preferably fresh lemon juice, however if you don't have fresh lemons (or a nice neighbour with a tree), then store bought bottled lemon juice can be used.
- Olive oil - I use an extra virgin olive oil in a vinaigrette as it's cold pressed, the flavour is not overpowering and it's less processed than other types of olive oil.
- Garlic - minced or 1 garlic clove, crushed.
- Dijon mustard - a traditional French mustard, Dijon is made from crushed mustard seeds and is sharp and intense, with a more complex flavour than yellow mustard.
- Honey - or you can substitute this with maple syrup.
- Salt and pepper - to season.
Equipment Required
Beetroot and quinoa salad requires little preparation, particularly if you use store bought cooked and peeled beetroot.
- Saucepan and stove top - or a Thermomix to cook the quinoa in.
- Utensils to chop, chopping board.
- Mixing bowl and salad bowl, to serve.
Step By Step Instructions
While the quinoa cooks, you can prepare the other salad ingredients and mix the vinaigrette, ready to assemble after the quinoa has cooled.
Note: Scroll to the recipe card at the bottom for the ingredients quantities and full detailed method.
Step 1 - Cook The Quinoa
Place the rinsed quinoa and the water into a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then cover the saucepan with a lid and reduce the heat. Simmer for 15 minutes.
Remove the quinoa from the heat and set aside for 10 minutes (with the lid still on). Fluff the quinoa with a fork and place into a large bowl.
Place the quinoa in the fridge until cool, about 20 minutes.
Step 2 - Prepare The Other Salad Ingredients
Chop each of the beetroot into approximately 8-10 chunks.
Chop the walnuts and mint leaves (reserving a small amount for garnishing).
Add the beetroot, walnuts and mint to the bowl of cooled quinoa.
Mix salad ingredients together to combine then set aside whilst you make the vinaigrette.
Step 3 - Make The Vinaigrette
Place all the lemon vinaigrette ingredients into a small jar.
Shake the vinaigrette in the jar until well combined.
Pour the vinaigrette over the salad and mix until combined.
Step 4 - Garnish And Serve
Place the salad into a serving dish and sprinkle crumbled soft feta, reserved walnuts and fresh mint over the top.
Serve quinoa and beetroot salad immediately, or store in the fridge for up to 2-3 days.
Expert Tips
- Quinoa - rinse quinoa prior to cooking it. The ratio is usually around 2 cups of water to one cup of quinoa (1 cup quinoa to 1 & ¾ cups water in this recipe). The texture should be fluffy and slightly chewy - not crunchy (undercooked) or mushy (overcooked).
- Beetroot - save time by buying beetroot that has already been cooked and peeled (available in the fruit and vegetable section of the supermarket). Alternatively you could use tinned baby beets or roast your own!
- Allow quinoa to cool - before mixing with the other salad ingredients.
- Omit walnuts - for a nut free salad.
- Use a soft feta or goat cheese - choose a creamy and soft (often marinated) feta or goat cheese, rather than a drier, salty feta.
FAQs
Beetroot and quinoa salad keeps well in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days - great for leftovers the next day! This salad is not suitable to freeze.
Quinoa is not a rice or grain, it's the edible flower seed of an annual plant. The seeds are rich in protein, fibre, B vitamins and minerals in greater amounts than in many grains, making it a healthy and nutritional choice to use in salads and soups.
Beetroot are such a versatile plant, you can plant them when temperatures are moderate, so plant in autumn for tasty roasted winter veggies, or in spring for fresh baby beets to use in salads.
In some mild areas of Australia, you can even plant all year round!
And for those that don't have a green thumb or have the room for a veggie garden, cooked beetroot are ALWAYS available at the supermarket!
Related Recipes
A fresh and colourful salad is always a welcome side dish to BBQ's, great for serving to a crowd, or just for a light and healthy lunch. Often versatile, allowing you to use what you have on hand, there's one (or two) to suit for every occasion!
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Beetroot and Quinoa Salad
Ingredients
For The Salad
- 200 g (1 cup) quinoa uncooked, rinsed
- 1 ¾ cup water
- 500 g roasted/cooked beetroot approximately 4 medium
- 80 g walnuts roughly chopped
- ½ cup fresh mint roughly chopped
- 80 g soft feta or goat cheese
For The Lemon Vinaigrette
- ¼ cup (60g) fresh lemon juice
- ¼ cup (60g) olive oil
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic or 1 garlic clove, crushed
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon honey or maple syrup
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Place the rinsed quinoa and the water into a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then cover with a lid and reduce the heat to a simmer for 15 minutes. Remove the quinoa from the heat and set aside for 10 minutes (with the lid still on). Fluff the quinoa with a fork and place into a large bowl. If using a Thermomix: Place 1000g of water into the Thermomix bowl. Insert the simmering basket and place the rinsed quinoa into the basket. Cook for 18 minutes, 100 degrees, Speed 4. Remove the simmering basket and set aside for 10 minutes before placing into a large bowl and fluffing with a fork.
- Cool the quinoa in the fridge for 20 minutes or until cool to the touch.
- Chop each of the beetroot into approximately 8-10 chunks. Add to the bowl with the quinoa.
- Add the walnuts and mint (reserving a small amount for garnishing) and mix to combine. Set aside while you prepare the lemon vinaigrette.
- Place the lemon vinaigrette ingredients into a small jar. Shake until well combined.
- Pour the lemon vinaigrette over the salad and mix until combined.
- Place the salad into a serving dish or bowl.
- Sprinkle over the soft feta and reserved walnuts and fresh mint.
- Serve immediately or store in the fridge for up to 2 days.
Notes
- Quinoa - rinse quinoa prior to cooking it. The ratio is just less than 2 cups of water to one cup of quinoa (1cup quinoa - 1 & ¾ cup water in this recipe). The texture should be fluffy and slightly chewy - not crunchy (undercooked) or mushy (overcooked).
- Beetroot - save time by buying beetroot that has already been cooked and peeled (available in the fruit and vegetable section of the supermarket). Alternatively you could use tinned baby beetroot or roast your own!
- Allow quinoa to cool - before mixing with the other salad ingredients.
- Omit walnuts - for a nut free salad.
- Use a soft feta or goat cheese - choose a creamy and soft (often marinated) feta or goat cheese, rather than a drier, salty type of feta.
- Storing - beetroot and quinoa salad keeps well in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days. This salad is not suitable to freeze.
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