feel food club

spring salad

Easy Peasy Rainbow Quinoa Salad with the Best Peanut Sauce

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Basically spring in a bowl. You have all the vibrant and colourful fruits and veggies you could wish for, plus some fluffy and tangy quinoa to fill you up and some fresh greens for even more vitamins. Oh, yeah, and not to forget about that sauce, which tastes like straight from heaven. What’s more, this is so incredibly easy to make and SO quick – you’ll want to make it every day!

Originally I shared the recipe in the Vegan What I Eat in a Day IGTV on Instagram. And you guys went nuts about it and wanted the recipe so you also are able to make it – so here you go, voilà. Tbh, I can very well understand you – this recipe IS really good. Sine then I think I have made this at least 4 or 5 times, it has become a staple that we make on repeat.

What is special about this dish?

What makes this so special is that you cannot really label it. It is no special cuisine, has no geographic origin or is typical for the food in a certain area or country. It is just a wild mix of flavours, colours and ingredients. It may seem a bit odd that we are throwing so many different things into a bowl, but don’t judge before you try. They all work together in perfect harmony and there’ll be an explosion of flavour in your mouth.

Besides, as already mentioned, this is like spring in a bowl. One the one hand side because of the way it looks. So many different colours and so many greens, just like nature is starting to bloom all the colours start to pop up at the side of the street. And on the other hand because it is so refreshing, so light, so easy – kind of just as spring is. If there is any time you should try this recipe, it is now.

Is this dish healthy?

Definitely!! I mean, if you think of a healthy meal isn’t something exactly like this what you’re thinking of? Probably. And yes, it really is very nutritious. Where should we start? Quinoa – it is a nutrient bomb. Super high fibre, super high protein and all the carbs you need to stay full and full of energy for the rest of the day. Plus, it is extremely high in minerals and vitamins and it’s super tasty.

Besides quinoa, our bowl is loaded with fruits and veggies. We have got corn, high in fibre, magnesium, vitamin B. Then we have tomatoes, which are loaded with antioxidants, vitamin C and K. Bell pepper; vitamin A, C, potassium, fibre. Cucumber and broccoli – much water, many antioxidants, Vitamins A, C, E, K and folid acid. Edamame, protein and fibre king. Mango, not only tastes like heaven but also great for your immune system. The peanut butter; a great source of healthy fats and protein. The list goes on and on, and I think you get the point. Yep, this dish is incredibly healthy and still soso delicious!

How to make this dish?

As the name already suggests, it’s easy peasy. Really, it only comes down to preparing the quinoa, which is not greatly different from preparing rice, cutting the veggies and making the sauce. As for the veggies, we need to chop some into bite sized pieces, and some need to be steamed for a few minutes, such as the broccoli and edamame. The sauce also is incredibly simple, as it just requires you to mix a few ingredients – which you probably all have at home already.

And then comes the fun part – the plating. If you are patient enough and not too hungry, you can style it prettily. Or if you are just normal – you can just throw everything into a bowl and mix mix mix. In the end, we just top it off with some fresh herbs and spring onions and that’s it! Voilà!

When and how to best have it?

Whenever you want! It works perfectly as a quick lunch on busy days, when you don’t want to spend much time on preparing your lunch. Otherwise, it also works great as a meal prep. You can just prepare everything, store it in the fridge and toss is with the sauce when you are ready to eat. Since it is a salad, it is just as delicious when served cold! And, not to forget, it also is perfect for picnics. Just prepare, pack and enjoy in the sun!

I genuinely hope that you’ll enjoy this recipe at least as much as we do and that you’ll have an amazing time cooking & enjoying it! Have a wonderful spring!

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Easy Peasy Rainbow Quinoa Salad with the Best Peanut Sauce

easy, healthy and SOSO addictively good. I promise, you'll want to make this on repeat. A bowl of spring, loaded with all the fresh and vibrant veggies, along with some light and fluffy quinoa, and the best, creamy peanut sauce. All in all, heaven!

Course bowl, lunch, Main Course, Salad
Prep Time 10 Minuten
Cook Time 10 Minuten
Total Time 20 Minuten
Servings 2 servings

What you will need

For the salad:

  • 100 g quinoa
  • 100 g broccoli
  • 100 g edamame
  • 1/2 bell pepper
  • 1/2 cucumber
  • 100 g canned corn
  • 1 handful radishes & tomatoes
  • 1/2 avocado
  • 1/2 mango
  • 2 handful greens such as salad, baby spinach, kale (whatever you like and have on hand)
  • 100 g pomegranate seeds

For the dressing:

  • 3 tbsp peanut butter
  • 1/2 lime
  • 1 tbsp maple syrup
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp coconut milk

How to

  1. Add the quinoa to a pot along with twice the amount of water and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce to simmer and let it simmer with the lid on until all water in absorbed. Then close the lid and let it stand on low heat until fluffy.

  2. In the meantime cut the broccoli into bite-sized pieces and steam it in some hot water, along with the edamame, for about 3-4 minutes.

  3. Finely dice the bell pepper, radishes and cucumber, half the tomatoes, peel and cut the mango, wash the greens, drain the corn, slice the avocado and add it all to a bowl.

  4. Mix all ingredients for the peanut sauce, then add the broccoli, edamame and quinoa to the bowl and toss everything.

    Serve and enjoy!

Love,
Katie // Une Petite Cuisinière

Potato and Asparagus Salad with herby vinaigrette

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Salad does not have to include greens and be boring all the time. By far not. As much as we love some refreshing and light salads, sometimes we are craving something more filling and heartier. Not saying it needs to be less healthy. Like this one. So good. So refreshing. So filling. Perfect lunch as is or ideal barbecue side! Amazing.

Spring is, fresh asparagus and fresh herbs for me. The colours and smell of them just really make one smile. Asparagus is so healthy and versatile too! You can make a soup, a risotto, just plain with potatoes or hollandaise sauce, whatever you want and it tastes amazing when prepared the right way.

Green, white or pink?

Asparagus is really high in fiber and has a reasonable amount of protein for a vegetable. Also, it is packed with folate and very low in calories. No matter, which one you prefer, white or green (or there even is pink one, which I have never tried but is super cool!), they are all pretty similar in nutrients. The white one just has a more intense asparagus taste, while the green one is milder. In this recipe I like to use both, because they add different flavours, textures and colours, but if you do not like either at all, you can only go with one type.

Are potatoes even healthy?

But asparagus is only half of the deal. As good as it is, it is not super filling. But since we want this to be a filling dish, with some good carbohydrates, we still need some potatoes. I know that there are a lot of saying that claim that carbs and potatoes are bad but they are not! They are loaded with incredibly nourishing vitamins, a lot of fiber and minerals. Potatoes actually are a super food! And Carbohydrates are everything else than unhealthy. They are the main source of energy for our bodies, which means they should make up more than half of our diet. They are essential for us!

Which potatoes should I use?

The best potatoes for this recipe are baby potatoes (Bauernkartoffel in German). Why? Because you can eat them with the skin on and they are small. Therefore you do not have to peel them or cut them smaller, which is way more convenient. If you cannot find them anywhere, you can substitute them with others, but it will be lot more work.

Last but not least: the perfect vinaigrette

What would a salad be without a decent vinaigrette? Not a salad, just some veggies. I believe that in most dishes, the real flavour comes down to the sauces. Just like here. You could cover everything with a hollandaise sauce but this would not just make it pretty unhealthy but also would not taste as good. The vinaigrette here is very simple and rather light. It is a mix of lemon juice, parsley and olive oil. The lemon and a freshness, the herbs some greens and flavour and the olive oil helps the potatoes not to stick together and also adds a bunch of flavour. Together it tastes amazing and so fresh. The combination with the asparagus, potatoes, and dishes is just amazing!

When and how should we eat it?

You can enjoy this salad when it still is warm or you can also enjoy it cold, which makes it a great leftover. Unlike most salads, you can add the vinaigrette here beforehand (if you want to repurpose it as a leftover) and do not have to wait until just before you want to eat it. If you want, this can be a main dish, and if you wish you could add some boiled eggs or cottage cheese to it. But this also works great as a side dish that packs carb and veggies in one! Love to serve this at a barbecue or with a nice piece of meat or fish!

I hope that you enjoy this recipe and will have fun cooking!
Enjoy,
Katie // Une Petite Cuisinière

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Potato and Asparagus Salad with herby vinaigrette

A super refreshing and delicious spring salad that will nourrish you and fill you up! Soft potatoes with some delish asparagus and a refreshing herb vinaigrette! Toatlly delish!

Course Appetizer, dinner, Main Course, Salad, Side Dish
Prep Time 10 Minuten
Cook Time 20 Minuten
Total Time 30 Minuten
Servings 4 sides
Calories 199 kcal

What you will need

  • 600 g baby potatoes
  • 600 g asparagus (mixed white and green)
  • 100 g radishes
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • juice from 1 small or 1/2 large lemon
  • 1 tbsp parsley chopped
  • 1/2 tbsp butter
  • 1/2 tbsp sugar

How to

  1. Bring two pots with water to a boil. Salt both. In one pot add the baby potatoes and boild for 20 minutes.

    In the meantime, generously peel the white asparagus, about 2 times around the stalk. Chop about 2 cm off the ends of both, green and white asparagus.

    In the empty pot add the butter and sugar and the white asparagus. Let this boil for about 5-10 minutes, depending on how thick the stalks are. Then add in the green aspargus and cook for another 5 minutes. The total cooking time of the white asparagus is between 10 and 15 minutes.

  2. Once the potatoes are done cooking, let them cool a little bit. Then half them or cut them into three pieces. Add them into a bowl. Finely grate or chop the radishes and add aswell.

    When the asparagus is done cooking, also cut it into about 2-3 cm sized pieces and add them aswell. Sprinkle with sea salt and cracked black pepper.

    In a bowl combine the parsley, olive oil and lemon juice. Add it to the other vegetables and mix through.

    Serve and enjoy!