Ellena’s Notes

This recipe was my first experience with Quinoa. Natalie found this recipe as a result of a detox diet she was trying out. When she shared it with all of us at the winery for lunch one day we were hooked. Imagine something so good being so healthy for you. This is a great addition to dinner, but is also a wonderful salad to bring for a potluck.

This salad has tons of different flavors, despite the few ingredients. The blueberries and citrus pair wonderfully with our Huckleberry d’Latah, the pistachios and mint with our Pinot Grigio, or the hearty quinoa and spicy fennel with our Tempranillo.

Eat Simple, Eat Well, Ellena

Ingredients

1 cup quinoa (or 2 cups pre-cooked)
2 head of fennel, chopped into medium chunks
1 cup chickpeas
1 cup blueberries
4 tbsp pistachios, chopped
15-20 mint leaves, diced
juice of 2 limes
freshly ground pepper and salt

Optional: Orange Vinaigrette Dressing
Whisk together juice of 2 large oranges, 2 tsp apple cider vinegar, and 1/2 tsp salt. Slowly whisk in 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil until dressing is emulsified.

Gluten Free Version

This is gluten free!

Directions

Preheat oven to 425ºF. Place fennel on a roasting pan. Sprinkle lightly with extra virgin olive oil and freshly ground sea salt and pepper. Roast in oven for 20-30 minutes or until browned. Meanwhile, cook quinoa according to package directions. Cool quinoa and fennel completely. Mix all ingredients together and serve. I often omit the lime juice and replace it with the orange vinaigrette dressing recipe below. Either way it is delicious.

Eat Simple, Eat Well, Ellena