How about this wonderful asparagus quinoa salad? It has everything you need – nutritious green vegetables, to help protect the body; quinoa, a gluten-free protein that will keep you adequately satisfied until your next meal; halloumi for, gosh darn it, great taste; garlic, for intense flavor; and finally, pomegranate, for antioxidants, and a sweet lift to your salad. Yum – right?
I love this salad. It’s a great meal anytime and absolutely scrumptious. The flavors of each ingredient are so distinctive, but play together so well.
Asparagus quinoa salad is light and tasty, and once you’re done eating it, there will be no afternoon energy dip, no need for a caffeine injection, this asparagus quinoa salad will keep your energy levels nicely balanced. Lately, I have been working on creating meat free and tasty meals that I can enjoy in lieu of heavy, meat loaded meals. The result has been some great lunch time specials, and that’s how this recipe came about.
New York has been very dreary of late, but once the heat comes this asparagus quinoa salad will be a refreshing treat for me, and once you try this recipe I’m sure you will agree.
So little time is needed in the kitchen to create asparagus quinoa salad, so if you’re an apartment dweller who finds it difficult to keep your kitchen cool when cooking, you will be delighted that all the elements are cooked quickly, no need to slave over a hot stove to make this meal come to life.
You must give this asparagus quinoa salad recipe a try, and when you do, it will become a regular feature during meal times, I assure you.
Asparagus Quinoa Salad
Ingredients
- 2 cups quinoa
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 2 x 1 tbsp olive oil and extra to drizzle
- 3 cloves garlic thinly sliced
- 12 oz asparagus hardy stalk ends removed
- 8 oz halloumi cheese 1/2 inch slices
- 4 tsp pomegranate arils
Equipment and Utensils
- Medium saucepan with cover
- Large small-holed sieve
- Medium skillet or sauté pan
- Grill pan use skillet or sauté pan if you do not have a grill pan
Instructions
- Wash quinoa thoroughly in a small-holed sieve.
- Place quinoa in saucepan and cover with 4 cups of water, then add salt.
- Place saucepan on high heat until water begins to boil, then lower heat to a simmer, cover saucepan, and cook for approx. 15 mins.
- Remove pan from heat, and tip quinoa into sieve, and place on top of saucepan, drizzle with a little olive oil, toss, and then place cover on top of sieve, and set aside.
- Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in skillet or sauté pan then add garlic
- Sauté garlic until golden brown, then remove from oil and drain on a paper towel.
- Add asparagus and sauté on medium for approx. 4 mins. Remove from oil and set aside.
- Heat grill pan on high till very hot, then carefully place halloumi slices in pan and cook undisturbed for approx. 1 1/2 minutes, then flip and cook the other side for the same amount of time.
- Serve immediately - split ingredients into four equal portions, and pile them on top of one another.
- First asparagus, quinoa, garlic, halloumi, and then finally sprinkle with pomegranate arils.
