Quinoa Salad with Beets and Oranges - Gluten Free & Vegetarian

This is a recipe that was in the Rise and Shine Newsletter for Austin Farmers' Market and looked like a great way to enjoy the oranges I received as a gift from a friend and the beets that were in our CSA box. It would make a really great lunch, but we enjoyed it for dinner on a cold, rainy Saturday evening. 


Quinoa Salad with Beets and Oranges

Adapted from Quinoa Salad Recipe with Roasted Beets, Chick Peas, Baby Spinach and Orange, Gluten-free Goddess.blogspot.com


3 cups cooked quinoa, bulk section at Wheatsville
2 beets, trimmed and quartered, Johnson's Backyard Garden at Austin Farmers' Market on Wednesdays and Saturdays
1/4 cup olive oil plus extra for the roasted beets, Texas Olive Ranch, Saturdays at Austin Farmers' Market
salt and pepper
1 cup drained and rinsed chick peas, I used dry chick peas that I cooked in chicken stock, but you could also use canned chick peas or use vegetable stock or water to cook the dry chick peas - I added the swiss chard at the end of cooking the chickpeas to soften them
2 tsp gluten-free tamari soy sauce
1 tsp balsamic vinegar, we used Texas Olive Ranch Pomegranate Balsamic Vinegar, Saturdays at Austin Farmers' Market
1 TBSP local honey, Round Rock Honey or Goodflow Honey
2 handfuls of baby spinach or a bunch of swiss chard, torn or cut into bite-sized pieces Johnson's Backyard Garden at Austin Farmers' Market on Wednesdays and Saturdays
1/4 cup fresh squeezed orange juice and 1 orange, peeled and trimmed, South Texas Organic Oranges available at Wheatsville and Central Market
Optional: Pure Luck goat cheese and slivered almonds


1. Roast the beets by preheating the oven to 375, add beets to a roasting pan and drizzle olive oil and sea salt. Roast for 45 minutes. When cool, remove the skins on the beets and cut into bite-sized pieces. 
2. Make the quinoa by boiling 2 cups water and 1 cup quinoa. Then simmer covered for 15 minutes. Fluff with a fork and set aside.
3. Combine the warm, cooked quinoa with chick peas, swiss chard or spinach, salt and pepper. 
4. Make the salad dressing by whisking together the olive oil, fresh squeezed orange juice, soy sauce, balsamic vinegar and honey. 
5. Add the dressing to the quinoa and veggies and toss lightly. Add the beets and oranges, but don't mix too much or the salad will turn red (although the pomegranate vinegar gives it a pink color). Add goat cheese and slivered almonds if desired.