Quinoa rainbow fiesta with roasted sweet potatoes & zesty vinaigrette
This quinoa and sweet potato salad dish focuses on whole foods and simple, fresh ingredients. It’s a colorful, nutritious dish that combines the subtle nuttiness of quinoa with the earthy sweetness of roasted sweet potatoes.
- Prep time
- 8 min
- Cook time
- 40 min
- Yield
- 8 servings
- Difficulty
- HARD
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- Quinoa
- 1 cup white quinoa
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups water
- 2 cups sweet potatoes (chopped ½ inch cubes)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- ½ tablespoon cumin
- 1/3 cup kidney beans or black beans
- 1 bell pepper
- ½ - 1 cup leeks (optional)
- 1/3 cup red onion
- 1/3 cup cranberries (optional)
- 1 large avocado
- ¼ cup balsamic vinegar or red wine vinegar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 lime or lemon (squeezed)
- ¼ cup olive oil or virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon garlic (chopped)
- Toasted cashews or any type of nuts
- Parsley
Instructions
- 1
Wash and strain the quinoa.
- 2
In a pot at medium heat, mix in quinoa, olive oil, and salt. Mix these for 3-5 minutes to bring out the nutty flavor.
- 3
Pour in the water and simmer for 15–20 minutes, mixing often.
- 4
Once there isn’t any water left, place this in a bowl to cool down.
- 5
If you want, you can use the same pot to heat up the strained kidney beans after cooking the quinoa. Put the beans aside once they're hot enough.
- 6
In a bowl, combine the sweet potatoes, olive oil, salt, black pepper, and cumin, making sure to mix them well.
- 7
Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 10–15 minutes in an oven preheated to 390°F or 200°C.
- 8
Once it’s done baking, gently toss it and continue baking for an additional 10–15 minutes until it reaches the desired texture of either soft or crisp.
- 9
When baking, dice the bell peppers into small, uniform pieces, and slice the leeks to your preferred thickness.
- 10
Take the red onion and roughly chop it, then slice the avocados into big squares.
- 11
Feel free to toast the cashews for 7–10 minutes for an extra flavor boost.
- 12
To make the vinaigrette, combine the following ingredients: Balsamic vinegar, salt, black pepper, freshly squeezed lemon or lime juice (without seeds), olive oil, oregano, honey, and garlic. Reserve it for later.
- 13
Place the roasted sweet potatoes, cranberries, leeks, kidney beans, bell peppers, and red onions over the quinoa. Mix well.
- 14
Add the sauce and avocado, carefully folding to avoid mashing the avocados.
- 15
Serve warm or cold, topped with cashews and parsley.