Roasted Beet, Mushroom, & Quinoa Salad with Sockeye Salmon
On a recent trip, I had the most incredible salad at Roadhouse Brewing Company. It was called their “Smoked Beet & Quinoa Salad.” I was blown away by the smokiness of the beets balanced perfectly with the nuttiness of the quinoa. Every bite burst with flavor, inspiring the idea of topping a salad like this with our sockeye.
The chef was kind enough to share his process with me, which requires smoking the beets just after they’re cooked. Although this yields a wonderful flavor, it is a bit time consuming for a weeknight dinner. In this recipe, I opted to roast the beets rather than smoke, and I think they turned out quite well. However, if you want to put on your chef’s hat and take this recipe one step further, I recommend firing up the smoker.
I topped the salad with our Slow Roasted Salmon and the result was delicious! The sweet, earthiness of the beets combined with the savory salmon and lemon vinaigrette is fantastic. Loaded with an impressive amount of vitamins and minerals, this salad is a nutritional powerhouse too.
RECIPE:
Salad Ingredients:
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4 medium sized beets, peeled and quartered
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1 cup black quinoa
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1 cup brown mushrooms, sliced
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1/2 cup Italian parsley, chopped
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1 cup baby spinach, chopped
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1 T olive oil
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Kosher salt and pepper
Vinaigrette: whisk together 1/2 cup olive oil, 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice, 1 t salt, 1/2 t pepper
Lay beets on a roasting pan and drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast in 400 degree Fahrenheit oven for 45 minutes or until fork-tender. While beets are roasting, cook the quinoa according to the package directions and set aside. Once the beets have finished roasting, remove from oven and let cool, then cut into 1” pieces. Place cooked quinoa into a medium-sized salad bowl, add beets, mushrooms, and parsley. Toss with the vinaigrette and add salt and pepper to taste. Serve salad in individual bowls with large flakes of salmon placed on top. Enjoy!