Fiddle Head & Spring Veggie Quinoa Bowls with Lemon Vinaigrette
A bright, fresh, lemony quinoa salad full of spring veggies like fiddle heads, pea shoots, and herbs.
Ingredients
Quinoa
- 1 cup dry quinoa rinsed
- 1 teaspoon salt
- a drizzle of olive oil
- 2 cups water
- Zest from 1 lemon
- 1/2 cup of chives finely chopped
Vegetables
- 2 cups of fiddle head ferns*
- 1 avocado thinly sliced
- 1 cup pea shoots these came in a 4oz package, roughly chopped
Vinaigrette
- Juice from 1 lemon
- 1 garlic clove finely chopped or shredded on a microplane
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1/4 cup chopped herbs I used equal parts parsley and basil
- 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper
Instructions
- 1. Cook quinoa. Combine quinoa, water, salt, and oil in a medium pot over high heat. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and let cook for 20 minutes. Turn off the heat and let quinoa sit, covered, for 5 minutes. Transfer warm quinoa to a large bowl and add lemon zest and finely chopped chives. Mix to combine and let sit at room temperature while you prepare the remaining ingredients.
- 2. Blanch the fiddleheads: rinse the pot used to make quinoa and fill it halfway with water. Bring water to a boil, then drop in the fiddleheads. Set a timer for 2 minutes, then drain and rinse the fiddleheads under cold water. Add fiddleheads to the bowl of quinoa.
- 3. Make vinaigrette: combine all ingredients into a small jar and shake to combine; alternately, mix them in a small bowl or glass measuring cup with a whisk.
- 4. Add all remaining ingredients to the quinoa (avocado, and pea shoots), and drizzle with lemon vinaigrette. Toss to combine, if desired. Enjoy immediately at room temperature, or transfer to the fridge and eat cold up to 5 days later.
Notes
*Fiddle heads can be replaced with any other fresh spring vegetable. Asparagus is a natural swap, and should be chopped and blanched the same as the fiddle heads. Broccoli or another green vegetable might need to cook just a few minutes longer.