Oct 18, 2016 in all recipes, salads & soups, vegetarian, ancient grain, avocado, beet salad, beet salad recipe, beets, cayenne pepper, cilantro. Read the original on: Viktoria's Table
Roasted beets, pomegranate and kaniwa salad with sweet corn, avocado, fresh lemon, cilantro and scallions, and toasty pumpkin seeds - this salad is an explosion of colors, flavors and textures.
Back in spring, I was inspired by a little known ingredient that turned out to be a superfood as well, and I made this seeds and greens kaniwa salad with it. You can read more about kaniwa here, but in short, it's a relative to quinoa, and has almost the same taste, and nutritional profile as quinoa, with even higher protein and iron content. While quinoa softens when cooked, and its fluffy texture makes it ideal for replacing rice in many recipes, kaniwa doesn't puff up after cooking, but retains its size and texture. I suppose that makes it a bit less versatile, but I found it works great in salads, as a lighter alternative to quinoa.
This roasted beets, pomegranate and kaniwa salad is my latest obsession. I started with cooked kaniwa and roasted beets, then I thought it would be great to add pomegranate seeds for a burst of flavor and color, and it just got better, and better from there. Sweet roasted corn, and avocado joined the party, scallions and cilantro, lots of lemon juice, and zest, cayenne pepper for some heat, and finally toasted pumpkin seeds for a good crunch. The result was a glorious explosion of fall colors, flavors and textures!
You get three superfoods in this salad - the pomegranate, the beets, and the kaniwa. Together they take care of your vitamin C, iron, protein, minerals, and antioxidant daily needs. I especially love the pomegranate seeds in this salad - their sweet and tart flavor is a great match for the earthy sweetness of the beets, and corn. If kaniwa is hard to find, substitute with the same amount of quinoa, and keep the liquid-to-solid ratio the same.
I didn't throw away those beautiful beet greens, but added them to the salad as well, after sauteing them with olive oil, salt and pepper. Whenever I get a fresh bunch of beets with big leafy tails, it's a 2-for-1 deal, and I cook the greens like I would normally cook spinach, or chard.
It's a great salad to bring to a potluck, or work lunch, as it transports really well, and can be stored in the fridge for a couple of days, without affecting the taste. You might just freshen it up with more lemon juice the next day.
It's sweet and tangy, and a little spicy with lots of freshness from the cilantro, scallions, and lemon, and a nice kick from the cayenne. The tiny kaniwa seeds, the bursts of pomegranate arils that pop in your mouth, the plump sweet corn kernels, and toasty pumpkin seeds give it an incredible texture, and a cheerful look, that deserves a spot on your holiday table for sure.
Kaniwa beet salad {roasted corn + avocado}
Prep time
30 mins
Cook time
1 hour
Total time
1 hour 30 mins
Roasted beets, pomegranate and kaniwa salad with sweet corn, avocado, fresh lemon, cilantro and scallions, and toasty pumpkin seeds - this salad is an explosion of colors, flavors and textures.
Author: Viktoria
Recipe type: Salad
Serves: 3-4
Ingredients
Instructions
3.5.3208
The post Roasted beets, pomegranate and kaniwa salad {corn + avocado} appeared first on Viktoria's Table.
Read the original on: Viktoria's Table
Healthy food, with a creative twist is my motto. I love to cook with real, seasonal ingredients, and create honest food that tastes amazing, and is good for you. I share the best recipes, food stories and photography at my blog www.viktoriastable.com.