Quinoa with Roasted Leeks & Cauliflower
Why This Quinoa Recipe Deserves a Spot in Your Kitchen:
This Roasted Leek & Quinoa Salad Recipe is the perfect take-along side dish, a base for a healthy lunch bowl or a quick start to a weeknight supper. Kirstie first tested this recipe right before Thanksgiving–always on the hunt for easy, make-ahead side dishes. It turned out so good that when she told Jody over the phone, Jody literally made a U-turn and drove straight over for a taste. Totally worth it.
For us, quinoa made its debut in our life about 10 or 12 years ago. After much experimentation, we still find that boiling the quinoa is the best way to cook it. For more on why you should have more quinoa in your life, click HERE for our complete blog on Quinoa!
Now onto the vegetables! Sometimes we feel that leeks are underused in the North American kitchen. In France they are the ultimate side dish, and here we generally just relegate them to soup. But for no good reason. Leeks really are so versatile: they can be roasted, sauteed, and deliciously braised as the French do!
For this Quinoa side dish, we opt to roast the leeks. Roasted leeks turn out both crispy and buttery at the same time, and marry beautifully with the quinoa, and other vegetables as well!
With just a little more bulk needed to make this a bonafide side dish, we added in another superstar roasted vegetable: cauliflower. The key here, always, is to roast vegetables separately, as they all have different finishing times.
This dish is brought together quickly & easily with a lemony vinaigrette, some chopped fresh parsley & and optional crunchy burst with toasted almonds.
- Prep Time: 10 Minutes
- Cook Time: 20-30 minutes
- Total Time: 30 mins
- Yield: 6-8 Servings
Ingredients
- 1 cup quinoa
- Kosher Salt, as needed
- 2 large leeks, split in half lengthwise and cut into 1 inch pieces
- 1/2 head cauliflower, cut into very small florets
- a good handful of fresh parsley
- Juice of 1 large lemon
- Olive oil, as needed
- 1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted (OPTIONAL)
Instructions
- Bring a medium-sized pot of water to the boil. Preheat oven to 425 F, convection if you’ve got it. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Salt the water well, then add in the quinoa. Boil over medium-high heat for 10-12 minutes, then strain through a fine-meshed strainer. Spread out on a baking sheet to cool.
- Meanwhile, toss leeks with olive oil and salt and spread out on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Also toss the cauliflower with olive oil and salt (it helps to work in the olive oil with your hands) and spread out on a baking sheet.
- Roast vegetables until deep golden/dark brown in spots, 12-16 minutes.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together lemon juice and a good pinch of kosher salt. Slowly whisk in about 2 tablespoons of olive oil.
- Using a spatula, gently fold in quinoa, roasted leeks & cauliflower and chopped parsley.
- Turn out into a serving bowl and garnish with toasted almonds, if using.
Notes
Serving Suggestions:
- As a side dish alongside roasted chicken or turkey, grilled fish (especially our Moroccan Roasted Salmon) or as a main vegetarian dish with roasted chickpeas and drizzled with a spicy yogurt sauce.
- As a base for the ultimate lunch bowl: top with leftover chicken, baby spinach, lemony chickpeas, avocado & feta cheese
Storage and Make-Ahead Tips for this Quinoa Salad:
One of the best things about quinoa salads is how well they hold up.
- Fridge: store in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Serve at room temperature.
- Make-Ahead Components: cook quinoa and roast vegetables up to 3 days ahead of time. Bring it altogether when you’re ready to serve.
- Not freezable.
Chefs Jody & Kirstie’s Notes for Perfect Quinoa:
- Guess what– we don’t rinse the quinoa. This used to be the way, but a lot of brands are now pre-rinsed. We honestly love the brand from Costco.
- Really SALT your water! Just like pasta, salt your water until it tastes like the ocean. In a medium-sized pot, it’s 2-3 tablespoons of kosher salt.
- Once it’s cooked to your liking (test it after 10 minutes), use a fine mesh strainer to strain, then let it cool on a baking sheet. Avoid rinsing with water.