I’m ashamed to say I was tempted to keep this recipe only for my Spring and Summer e-book, but I just couldn’t. EVERYONE should know about this one – it is so healthy, yum, and perfect for the season. Whether you just want it as a side or as a main, this pretty salad is one you’ll be tempted to pencil into your lunch menu throughout the spring and summer. It is super fresh, crunchy, and bursting with flavors. I love the use of raw snow peas in salads – their sweetness really comes out and goes well with the other ingredients.
The Asian-style dressing definitely gives it an extra zing, but you could definitely replace it with a classic lemon olive oil one if you prefer. If you don’t have all the ingredients, don’t fret, swap them. Just make sure you’ve got the snap peas, cucumbers, and some kind of grain. We like to double the recipe, keep the dressing on the side and store it in the fridge so that we can eat it for a few days. So typically, we’ll have it alongside fish or chicken one night and the next day for lunch with a fried egg on top.
Ingredients
- 1 cup quinoa (uncooked)
- 1 cup of snow peas (aka “mange-tout” peas)
- 2 small cucumbers
- 1/2 cup fresh coconut, cut into slices or unsweetened coconut flakes
- 3/4 cup of lightly cooked shelled edamame (you could substitute these for fresh green peas that have been blanched)
- 6-7 radishes, thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
- 12 leaves of mint, cut finely
- Dash of salt
- Juice of 2 limes
- 2 tbsp fresh, finely grated ginger
- 1/2 cup groundnut oil/other light oil
- 1/4 cup tamari or soy sauce
- 2 tbsp sesame seeds
Instructions
- Cook quinoa as per package instructions. Let cool.
- Cut the snow peas width-wise (around 1/8-inch slices)
- Halve the cucumbers lengthwise, scoop out the seeds and slice them up
- In a large bowl, mix the quinoa, snow peas, cucumbers, fresh coconut, radish and edamame together with the herbs
- Toss in the juice of 1 lime, add a dash of salt, and let the salad rest covered in the fridge
- Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix the groundnut oil, juice of the second lime, ginger and tamari sauce. I often do this step in the blender but you don’t have to.
- Before serving, pour the dressing into the salad, toss it and sprinkle the sesame seeds on top
