This black quinoa salad has a wonderful mixture of bright and rich flavors, thanks to the easy orange cumin dressing.
Last week my husband came home from a trip to Whole Foods, clutching a bag of dark grains in his hand. He had gone in hopes of replenishing our supply of red quinoa, but ventured into a bin in the bulk food sections labeled "Black Quinoa". Aside from the darker color, this new version of one of our favorite grains didn't look significantly different from its red sibling and, therefore, I assumed that the taste and texture would be the same.
According to Ernie New and John McCamant, two farmers who live in the high San Luis valley of Colorado, black quinoa was born by chance. When New and McCamant attempted to duplicate the growing conditions of the Andean Mountains, the seed of the white quinoa crossed with lamb's quarter, a native North American plant. The result was a new species that is now called black quinoa. While the shape of the grain is similar to the traditional white and red versions, the texture is slightly crunchier and has a significantly nuttier flavor.
If you are unable to find black quinoa, don't fret; this salad works just as well with white or red quinoa. The orange and cumin dressing, mixed with tender golden raisins, lends a Moroccan flavor to this easy side dish. It is a satisfying accompaniment to grilled meat. Alternatively, pair with beans for a protein-packed vegetarian meal. The leftovers, if there are any, can be stored in the refrigerator for a couple of days.
How to make black quinoa salad:
Pour quinoa into a fine mesh strainer and rinse until the water runs clear.
In a medium saucepan, combine quinoa, water and golden raisins. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat to low. Cook until all of the water is absorbed, about 20 minutes. Fluff quinoa with a fork and transfer to a medium bowl. Allow the quinoa to cool to room temperature.
Make the dressing:
In a small bowl, whisk together fresh orange juice, ground cumin and salt. While whisking, slowly pour in olive oil.
Toss the quinoa with the dressing and sliced green onions. Serve.
Other quinoa recipes:
Quinoa Chickpea Salad
Quinoa with Caramelized Crimini Mushrooms, Soy Sauce & Ginger
Moroccan Chicken Quinoa Salad
Printable Recipe
Moroccan Black Quinoa Salad
Ingredients
- 1 cup black quinoa red or white quinoa can be substituted
- 2 cups water
- 2 green onions thinly sliced
The dressing
- 3 tablespoons fresh orange juice
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Pour the quinoa into a fine mesh strainer and rinse until the water runs clear.
- In a medium saucepan, combine the quinoa, water and golden raisins. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat to low.
- Cook until all of the water is absorbed, 15 to 20 minutes. Fluff the quinoa with a fork and transfer to a medium bowl. Allow the quinoa to cool to room temperature.
- Toss the quinoa with the dressing and sliced green onions. Serve.
The dressing
- In a small bowl, whisk together fresh orange juice, ground cumin and salt. While whisking, slowly pour in olive oil.
Notes
Nutrition
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Emily @Cleanliness
This is beautiful!
Yuri
Thanks for this information, I always buy white, red an black but didn't know the story behind the black variety. I find that it takes longer to cook, I usually mix them to make tricolor quinoa dishes. I'm always looking for new ways to serve quinoa so I'll be trying this dressing soon 🙂
brandi
I love using red and black quinoa - it adds such a great pop of color! This would be fantastic with some black beans, too.
Dara (Cookin' Canuck)
I agree, Brandi. Black beans would be a great addition, particularly if you wanted to make this into a full meal.
Lori @ RecipeGirl
Black quinoa? Never seen it! I need to be a little more experienced w/ quinoa...
Dara (Cookin' Canuck)
Lori, once we started working quinoa into our diets, we couldn't get enough of it. One of the beauties of this whole grain is that it cooks so quickly.
Dana
I've had a similar dish containing rice, orange juice, and cumin, and LOVED it! This sounds fab!
Heather (Heather's Dish)
i like quinoa, but you definitely have to dress it up a bit to make it super enjoyable...and i'd say that's exactly what you've done! sounds delicious!
Katrina
The salad dressing in this sounds especially good. I love making new recipes with quinoa. I must try this!
Maris (In Good Taste)
The dressing sounds delicious. What an absolutely perfect picture of a healthy and tasty salad!
claudia lamascolo/aka pegasuslegend
What an awesome picture and just love the black quinoa with orange delish!
Sanjeeta kk
The recipe look so simple and easy to make, have not seen black quinoa..the salad look so refreshing & healthy. Lovely presentation, D!