This beetroot, quinoa and orange salad is the ultimate summer side dish

Beetroot and quinoa salad

Credit: Clair Irwin

Strong Women


This beetroot, quinoa and orange salad is the ultimate summer side dish

By Miranda Larbi

7 months ago

2 min read

Ready in minutes, this colourful grain salad is high in protein and vitamin C – the perfect dish for boosting summer nutrient levels.


This summer has been intense. We’ve had Wimbledon, the Euros, Taylor Swift, a million weddings… and we’re not even into August yet. If you’re feeling a little run down, join the club.

This salad can’t reverse two weeks of back-to-back Pimm’s, but it will help to fuel your body with restorative nutrients. Front and centre is quinoa, one of the most nutritious grains. It’s full of complete protein (a rarity in the plant world), fibre, iron and magnesium – all of which are great for repair and muscle building. 

Its colour comes from beetroot, which is a brilliant source of folate, potassium, manganese and vitamin C. Beetroot is also known to improve blood flow and pressure, and may improve exercise performance – making this an ideal side salad for pizza Friday if you’re planning to do Parkrun the next morning.

Lemon, mint and spinach add flavour, and bug-busting vitamins C and A. Mint’s also great for digestion, with studies suggesting that it can help to relieve indigestion and IBS symptoms.

Ingredients

  • ¾ cup (185ml in a measuring jug) quinoa
  • 1 raw beetroot grated
  • 1 orange zested peeled and sliced
  • A generous handful of baby spinach shredded
  • 1 tbsp fresh mint finely chopped
  • 1 lemon cut into 6 wedges
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the dressing:

  • 4 tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 1 heaped tbsp runny honey 
  • 1 sprig of thyme (leaves only)
  • 1 small garlic clove finely grated
  • 4 tbsp of oil
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper 

Method

1. First, cook the quinoa. Bring a pan of salted water to the boil and add the grains. Boil for around 12 minutes or until you can see they’ve swollen. 

2. Drain and rinse in cold water then leave to dry in a sieve.

3. Make the dressing in a small bowl by whisking together the balsamic vinegar, honey, mustard, thyme and garlic, and season to taste. Once you are happy with the balance of flavours, slowly whisk in the olive oil until the dressing is emulsified.

4. Put the quinoa in a serving bowl with the beetroot, orange zest and fruit slices, spinach, mint, and chili. Stir in 4 tbsp of the balsamic dressing. 

5. Keep folding gently until the grains have turned a deep pink. Add salt and pepper to taste and serve with a wedge of lemon. 


Recipe from Café Cooking by Gillian Veal, which is published in hardback by Kitchen Press. It’s available nationwide, priced at £25. Kitchen Press titles are distributed by BookSource.

Images: Clair Irwin

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