Quinoa tricolore beef salad is a vibrant and nutritious meal. It combines protein-packed quinoa, tender beef strips and a colourful array of herbs and vegetables. This salad is easy to assemble and makes a perfect lunch or dinner.
I love salads. They are the simplest meals you can imagine. In fact, they are versatile and healthy meal options that can be customized to your taste preferences. Besides that, they are quick to prepare and can be a great way to include more vegetables and fruits into your diet. Isn’t that fabulous?
Obviously, this salad bursts in colour and texture. Small round quinoa, creamy chickpeas, soft red tomatoes, fresh bright green coriander, pickled purple onion and some beef strips make a great combo. However, you can swap the beef with any other meat or make it meatless, too.
Quinoa
Quinoa is very versatile and healthy and can be easily incorporated into your diet plan. For instance, use it in soups, as a side dish or as stuffing. Enjoy it either in a warm or cold salad. And, because of its mild nutty flavour, you can use it in baking, too.
Moreover, Quinoa, as a naturally free grain, pairs wonderfully with vegetables, cheese, meat or fish.
You might like these quinoa recipes: green pea quinoa patties, classic quinoa stuffed peppers, vegetarian quinoa crust pizza, a light quinoa avocado salad or this spinach quinoa stuffed butternut squash.
In order to enhance its flavour, I paired it with fresh herbs, beef, as a savoury component, and of course, pumpkin seed oil. Oh, I love it. Are you familiar with this kind of oil? Give it a try. You`ll experience a unique flavour or, in other words, a combination of nuttiness, mildness and a slight sweetness. However, remember not to go crazy with it. Use it sparingly, as it can easily overpower a dish. Not that I have a problem with that. Wink.
Additionally, I suggest making this salad in advance. In fact, you can store it in your fridge for 3-5 days. Prepare the meat as needed or swap it with cheese, grilled vegetables or fish.
Ingredients for a quinoa tricolore beef salad:
- 300-350 g quinoa tricolore
- 1 pickled red onion
- 1 small lemon
- 200 g chickpeas
- fresh coriander
- 10 ml pumpkin seed oil (plus for dressing)
- 30 ml wine vinegar (red or white)
- 150 g chopped dried tomatoes
- 300-400 g beef roulade cut
In a medium pot, add quinoa and double the water amount. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a medium-low, cover with a lid and simmer until cooked and the water evaporated. Transfer the cooked quinoa to a bowl and allow it to chill.
Then, peel and slice the onion into round slices. Place the slices into a plate or bowl with a flat bottom. Sprinkle them with salt, and add the juice of one lemon and a splash of pumpkin seed oil. Let them marinate for at least 15 minutes.
Once the quinoa is cold, assemble everything in a large salad bowl. Combine quinoa, onions, chickpeas, chopped dried tomatoes and fresh coriander. Season with sea salt, the onion marinade, a splash of vinegar and some more pumpkin seed oil. Toss to combine.
In order to prepare the beef strips, preheat a non-sticking pan. Slightly brush the beef with oil. After the pan is hot, lay the meat in and brown it on one side for one minute. Then, flip it over and cook for another 30 seconds. Remove the beef cuts from the pan and let them sit for a minute. Slice them into strips and place them on top of the salad.
Finally, serve the quinoa tricolore beef salad, with some extra fresh coriander, for lunch, dinner or on a picnic.
Enjoy.
