Quinoa with a big salad full of beans, vegetables, avocado and pasta. This is not a tiny side salad—it is a substantial complete meal.
Ingredients
For the quinoa
- 2 cups brown, white or mixed quinoa
- 3 cups hot water or vegetable broth
- A pinch of ground bay leaf
- A pinch of black pepper
- Salt to taste
- 4 tbsp olive oil
For the salad
- White cabbage
- A piece of pumpkin
- 1 avocado
- 1 large carrot
- 4 radishes
- 1 pickled cucumber
- 1 cup cooked kidney beans
- 1/2 cup cooked corn, or fresh corn in season
- 2/3 cup cherry tomatoes
- 1 cup cooked pasta, any shape
For the dressing
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp mustard
- 3 tbsp vegan mayonnaise
- Salt to taste
- Juice of 1 lemon
For seasoning the pasta
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp dried thyme leaves
Method
1. Cook the quinoa
- Soak the quinoa in hot water for 15 minutes if you like; it can also be cooked directly.
- Rinse it very thoroughly through a fine strainer. Do not cook it without rinsing well.
- Heat the olive oil, add the drained quinoa and stir over low heat for 3 minutes.
- Add the ground bay leaf and black pepper.
- Add 3 cups hot water or vegetable broth and stir.
- Once boiling, add salt, cover and cook over low heat until the liquid is absorbed and the quinoa is tender.
2. Make the salad
- Finely slice the cabbage and grate the carrot.
- Peel the avocado and slice it lengthwise.
- Use a peeler to cut the pumpkin into thin ribbons.
- Slice the radishes thinly, finely chop the pickle, and halve the cherry tomatoes.
- Toss the cooked pasta with the olive oil and dried thyme.
- Mix the dressing thoroughly.
- Combine all the salad ingredients with the dressing, then add the seasoned pasta.
- Garnish with avocado slices and serve with the quinoa.
Enjoy 🙂
Why this quinoa plate works nutritionally
Quinoa is naturally gluten-free and provides all nine essential amino acids. It also contributes iron, magnesium and fiber, while the kidney beans in the salad add another substantial dose of plant protein and fiber.
The strongest part of this meal is the whole package: quinoa + beans + vegetables + avocado + olive oil. That combination gives you protein, fiber, unsaturated fats and a wide range of micronutrients without needing animal products.
Quinoa itself is not a “treatment” for constipation, cholesterol or blood sugar. But replacing refined grains and animal-heavy meals with fiber-rich whole plant foods is exactly the direction supported by broader cardiometabolic evidence.
quinoa and black-bean burger, vegetable biryani, and freekeh with peas and carrots.
