Quinoa, radicchio, fennel and pomegranate salad
When I worked at Moro, a Moorish-Spanish restaurant in London, I was introduced to the beguiling flavour of pomegranate molasses, an ingredient that is now fairly commonplace. There it was used in a dressing similar to this one, which gives a sweet-sour tang and spicy warmth to the vegetables. I love the textures and colours of this quinoa salad: it is cheerful, comforting and fresh all at the same time.
…the huge range of colours, flavours and textures that come from plant ingredients – spices, herbs, vegetables, nuts and legumes – is worth celebrating in its own right…it is possible to create healthy, flavourful dishes that have broad appeal.
This recipe originally appeared in the April 2020 edition of House and Garden magazine. Photo courtesy of Simon Bajada.
Ingredients
For the salad:
- 350g dried quinoa
- 1 fennel bulb
- 1/2 radicchio
- 1 pomegranate
- Large bunch coriander and parsley
- Small bunch mint and dill
- 3tbsp shelled pistachios, roughly chopped
For the dressing:
- 1 clove garlic
- 1/4tsp ground allspice
- 1/2tsp ground cinnamon
- 1tsp lemon juice
- 2tbsp pomegranate molasses
- 6tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Put the quinoa in a saucepan and add enough water to cover it by about 4cm. Bring to the boil and cook for 15 minutes (or according to packet instructions). Drain and set aside.
- Finely slice the fennel and radicchio. Remove the seeds from the pomegranate and finely chop the herbs.
- Crush the garlic, then mix all the dressing ingredients together. Season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Season the cooked quinoa and add the vegetables, herbs, chopped pistachios and pomegranate seeds. Stir in the dressing and taste for seasoning before serving. I like to eat this on its own, but it could be a side dish or part of a selection of plates.
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