Veggie Packed Quinoa Salad, Steak Optional

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This is really a tale of two recipes. A vegetarian salad with lots of quinoa and tons of veggies. It’s delicious and filling – as you might expect. But then, we have the optional steak. This transforms the salad into a full meal, or a beautiful plated appetizer. 

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Veggie Packed Quinoa Salad, Steak Optional

Yield: 8 servings

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Ingredients

• 1 cup raw quinoa, cooked according to package directions
• 3/4 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
• 3/4 cup fresh dill, finely chopped
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 2 ears corn
• 2 small shallots, thinly sliced
• 4 oz kale, stems removed and finely shredded
• 2 cups shredded green cabbage

Dressing:

• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 Tablespoon dijon mustard
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Optional Steak

• 1 (1-2) lb steak such as flat iron, Sierra steak or London

Instructions

1. Prepare the peas: place peas into a small bowl. Sprinkle salt over them and top with boiling water to cover. Cover the bowl tightly with foil and let it sit for about 5 minutes. Drain and set aside.
2. Prepare corn: grill or broil the corn for 1-3 minutes per side, until charred. I like to do this directly on the flame of my gas stove, but a grill or broiler works well too. Set aside to cool, then cut kernels off the cob. Set aside.
3. Prepare the dressing: combine all ingredients in a small container or jar. Shake to combine. Set aside.
4. Prepare the salad: combine cooked quinoa, parsley, dill, prepared peas, prepared corn, shallots, kale and cabbage in a bowl. Add dressing and mix well until combined.
5. Prepare steak, if using: Heat a large pan or grill pan over high heat. Sprinkle seasonings generously over steak. Add a bit of oil to pan, then add steak. Sear for 2-3 minutes per side, until a crust develops. For a thicker steak, reduce heat and continue to cook until meat reaches desired doneness.
6. Slice steak and serve over salad.

Notes

1. Plan ahead: each component can be made up to two days ahead of time. Salad is best the day it’s assembled, but leftovers can be enjoyed for 2-3 days after.

2. While I love the charred flavor of the corn in this salad, you can use raw corn kernels instead of charring - it yields a bit of an extra crunch!

3. Replace the dill in this recipe with cilantro for a completely different but exttraordinarily delicious flavor profile.

4. I have made this salad without the kale and cabbage and it's fantastic as well.

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