This protein grain salad recipe has it all, it’s full of protein (duh), has carbs and healthy fats and it’s incredibly healthy and full of vitamins. There are several components, which may get slightly chaotic in the latter stages, but each component is very easy to make, so it’s still a beginner friendly dish.
I love this dish because it can be eaten warm, meal prepped for summer, makes a delicious filling main or can be dished up as a side on a buffet table. It’s good for all seasons and can be scaled down if you don’t need something quite so filling.
NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION
As I said, this dish is incredibly rich in terms of protein and micronutrients. It has black beans, quinoa, edamame and broccoli as well as a tahini lime dressing, so there’s a good amount protein and fibre in just about every component.
Each serving contains 657 calories, 21g of fibre and 27g of protein as well as 97% of the recommended daily amount of vitamin C, 8mg of iron, 90% of your daily vitamin K, over 100% of your daily folate and 50% of your daily B1.
And an impressive amount of each of the following:
- B2 – 30%
- B6 – 30%
- Potassium – 35%
- Calcium – 30%
- Zinc – 30%
INGREDIENT CHOICES AND SUBSTITUTIONS
This recipe calls for tamari, which is gluten free soy sauce, you can use regular soy sauce if you don’t need this recipe to be gluten free.
Your broccoli can be swapped for another fine green like asparagus or string beans if broccoli isn’t your favourite vegetable.
And you can swap your black beans for any other canned bean of your choice if you don’t have any to hand/ would prefer something else. Pinto beans would work well as a replacement.
There’s some optional tamari in the beans and broccoli cooking instructions, but feel free to skip it if you want to reduce your salt intake. The other components in this recipe are cooked in/ include something salted and it’s not 100% necessary, but I know a lot of people prefer to add a little something to every component of the dish to balance the flavours rather than relying on the dressing.
HOW TO STORE, REHEAT AND DOES IT KEEP?
You can store any leftovers covered and refrigerated for 3-4 days, but leftovers should be consumed cold rather than reheated, especially if leftovers already have dressing on.
PROTEIN GRAIN SALAD
Delicious, healthy protein grain salad that can work for just about every occasion and season.
This recipe is gluten free, dairy free, nut free and vegan friendly. It does contain soy.
Protein Grain Salad
Delicious, healthy protein grain salad that can work for just about every occasion and season.
Course Main Course, Salad
Cuisine Middle Eastern
Keyword Protein Grain Salad
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 2
Calories 657 kcal
Ingredients
Quinoa
- 100 g dry quinoa
- 300 ml vegetable stock
- Juice of half a lime
Edamame
- 1 cup frozen edamame
- 1 tsp sunflower oil
- Generous amounts of salt and pepper
Beans & Broccoli
- 100 g tenderstem broccoli tips
- 1 can black beans drained and rinsed
- Fry spray
- Dash of tamari optional
Dressing
- Juice of one lime
- 1 tsp tamari
- 2 tbsp tahini
- 2 tbsp sesame oil
- 2 ½ tbsp water
- I clove garlic finely chopped
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 220°c. Run your edamame under boiling water briefly to remove any icy bits, but don’t worry about completely defrosting it. Drain thoroughly, then toss your edamame in the oil, salt and pepper and place on a baking tray. When the oven is up to temperature, cook the edamame for 15-20 minutes until it’s crispy on the outside.
- While the oven is preheating, start prepping your quinoa. Rinse the quinoa. Place the quinoa in a fine-mesh strainer. Rinse thoroughly under cool, running water, swish the quinoa with your hand while rinsing then drain. Add the drained quinoa to a saucepan and toast for about 2 minutes. Then add your stock and bring to a rolling boil. Lower heat and cook, covered, for 15 minutes until all of the water/ stock is gone and the quinoa has puffed. Remove from the heat and leave stand for at least 5 minutes. Take the lid off and leave stand for another 5 minutes. Fluff your quinoa with a fork and add your lime juice to combine while you’re fluffing it.
- In the 10 minutes that your quinoa is standing, start prepping your beans and greens. Add a medium/ large frying pan to medium heat. Add your fry spray. Once hot, add the beans and greens and cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring often, until the beans are fully warmed through and the broccoli is starting to crisp on the edges (careful not to burn it).
- Whisk all of your dressing ingredients together and set aside.
- Add your cooked quinoa and edamame to your beans pan and stir to combine everything. Pour over your dressing and stir it through to coat.
- Transfer your salad to a serving dish or individual bowls.
