Recipe: Quinoa salad with oranges

Beetroot, spinach, pine nuts and a spicy orange and ginger dressing make this salad a very special treat. Recipe by Lena Fuchs, Mein leckeres Leben

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 200-250 g red quinoa
• 4 oranges
• 2-3 beetroots, cooked
• 1 ripe avocado
• two handfuls of fresh spinach
• 1 small cucumber
• 50-60 g pine nuts
• Approx. 500 ml vegetable stock
• Fleur de sel, freshly ground pepper

Dressing:

• Juice of 2 oranges
• 2-3 tsp Dijon mustard
• 3-4 tbsp maple syrup
• 6 tbsp light balsamic vinegar or apple cider vinegar
• 8 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp freshly grated ginger
• Salt, freshly ground pepper

Instructions:

1. Cook the quinoa in vegetable stock for 15-20 minutes (1 part quinoa to 2 parts stock). Drain, fluff and allow to cool.
2. Peel and fillet the oranges with a sharp knife. Thinly slice the beetroots (you can save the juice and stir it into the cooked quinoa) and the cucumber. Peel the avocado and cut it into thin slices. Wash the spinach well and pat dry.
3. Toast the pine nuts in a pan without oil until golden brown.
4. For the dressing, combine all the ingredients and season to taste. You can either whisk them together in a bowl or pour them into a jar with a lid and shake to form a creamy dressing.
5. Spread the quinoa onto four plates as a base. Top with the vegetables and orange wedges. Drizzle generously with the dressing and sprinkle on the pine nuts. Season with fleur de sel and freshly ground pepper to taste.

Tip: Garnish the salad with salted cashews