Beet Salad with Quinoa and Sunflower Seed Dressing

This Beet Salad features seasonal fall ingredients such as quinoa, edamame, roasted sweet potatoes, toasted walnuts and spinach, and tossed with a creamy sunflower seed dressing! Not only is it full of delicious flavours and textures, it’s also packed with superfoods and plant based protein protein making it a bowl full of nutrition!

Who else loves beets? It took me a couple chances to appreciate beets, but they have become one of my favourite vegetables! I feel like beets are such an underrated vegetable because of their earthly flavour but they’re so good for you and if you prepare them right, can make for a delicious meal. One of my favourite ways is to roast them, but I found that they are absolutely delicious in salads- especially tossed in a creamy savoury dressing!

I have been loving sunflower seeds and sunflower butter for dressings as a change from my usual tahini dressings! I think it kind of gives the salad dressing more of a ~ fall vibe ~ too (but that could just me me 😅).

This is no ol’ boring salad. It has the perfect balance of flavours coming from the earthy beets, sweetness from the sweet potatoes, toasty-nuttiness from the walnuts and a hint of freshness from the mint. And that’s all dressed in the tangy deep flavour of the sunflower seed butter. Oh, not to mention all the textures in this salad! I’m a huge texture person and this salad has all kinds of textures going on!

Not only is it delicious, it’s also nutritious and packed with plant based protein from the quinoa and edamame! I mean, look at the colours in this salad it just screams healthy. This is called eating the rainbow ;).

I really hope you try this Beet Salad with Quinoa and Sunflower Seed Dressing & eat it as often as I do because it’s:

• vegetarian/vegan friendly

• literally like eating the rainbow 😉

• only 12 plant based ingredients 

• can be made ahead or meal prepped

• high in protein

• a salad that isn’t boring

• easy to make

• & dressed with the most delicious, tangy & creamy savoury dressing!

Tips and Tricks to making this Beet Salad with Quinoa and Sunflower Seed Dressing

• I throw my potatoes into the oven even if the oven is not yet preheated. Then, you don’t have to wait for it to pre-heat (aka it’s faster) and they still crisp of perfectly.

• Remember to rinse your quinoa to get rid of any bitterness.

• Use gloves when grating the beet, unless you can appreciate pink hands after 😂

• Toast your walnuts! This little treatment to the walnut really brings out their flavour and seriously does elevate the flavour profile of the salad.

• If you’re making this ahead of time as meal prep, place some of the dressing into small containers and dress when ready to eat so the spinach doesn’t get soggy. OR you can add the spinach the day of and mix it in!

• Feel free to sub the spinach for any of your favourite greens and vegetables! Kale, asparagus, arugula and lettuce would be a tasty choice as well!

If you make this Beet Salad with Quinoa and Sunflower Seed Dressing please do share it and let me know what you think by tagging me on Instagram @lisakitahara, I love seeing all of your tasty recreations!

Method

1. Pre-heat the oven to 400 C. Dice the sweet potato into cubes and place on a lined baking tray. Place them into the oven for 20 minutes or until slightly browned.

2. Prepare your quinoa. Rinse, then add to a small pot and add 1 c of water with a pinch of salt. Place over medium heat and bring it to a boil. Then, reduce it to a simmer for 10-15 minutes or until all the liquid is absorbed. Fluff it up with a work when complete.

3. In the mean time defrost your edamame and gather your other ingredients. Rinse, peel and grate the beet. Roughly chop some walnuts and the spinach. Add them all into a large bowl.

4. Prepare the dressing by combining the sunflower butter, lemon juice, maple syrup, AVC, dijon mustard, garlic powder, salt and pepper all into a bowl and whisking until smooth.

5. When the potatoes and quinoa are ready, add them to the large salad bowl. Pour over the dressing and toss until evenly coated. Serve with roughly chopped mint!

Notes

• SERVINGS: 2

• PREP TIME: 10 minutes

• COOK TIME: 20 minutes

• INGREDIENTS: 12

• DIFFICULTY: EASY

Ingredients

• 1 medium sweet potato (400g)

• 1/2 c uncooked quinoa

• 1 c frozen edamame

• 1/3 c chopped walnut

• 1 medium-large beet (200g)

• 2 c packed spinach

• 1/4 c chopped mint leaves

• 2 tbsp sunflower butter

• 2 tbsp lemon juice

• 1 tbsp maple syrup

• 1 tbsp ACV

• 1/2 tsp dijon mustard

• 1/4 tsp garlic powder

• salt and pepper to taste