Roasted Beet Salad with Quinoa, Chickpeas, Miso and Tahini

I came across this simple, but well-balanced salad recently and immediately decided I would have to try it. How could I resist the goodness of quinoa, beets and chickpeas all in one dish dressed with tahini and miso? Just plain good for you and very flavourful too. This salad is earthy, yet naturally sweet at the same time. It is especially nice with the toasted sesame seeds. Certainly an excellent choice for those feeling rushed or for those not feeling up to making a complicated dish but wanting a nutritious vegetarian meal. Serve with some Cheddar Parmesan Scones with Dill for an especially satisfying meal.

If you buy beets with healthy greens, be sure to toss them in with the salad.

Roasted Beet Salad with Quinoa, Chickpeas and Miso and Tahini

For the salad:

2/3 cup of uncooked quinoa
2/3 cup of dried chickpeas (or one can of chickpeas)
5 medium beets
3 green onions, sliced
1 tablespoon of fresh parsley, chopped
1/4 cup of dry toasted sesame seeds

For the dressing:

1/4 cup of tahini
1 tablespoon of dark miso
juice from one lemon
1 teaspoon of lemon zest
a few tablespoons of hot water
1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper

Rinse the quinoa well. Place in a pot with 1 1/2 cups of water and let soak overnight. Rinse the chickpeas, cover with water and let soak overnight.

Bring the quinoa to a boil, reduce the heat to low and cover and simmer until the liquid is absorbed - roughly 20 minutes.

Drain the chickpeas, transfer them to a medium large pot, cover with water, bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low and cover and cook until the beans are buttery soft - roughly 1 hour.

While the chickpeas and quinoa are cooking, wrap the beets in foil and roast in a preheated 375 degree oven until the beets are tender - roughly 1 hour depending on the size of the beets. Remove from the oven, let them cool for a while and then remove the skins and slice.

To make the dressing, whisk together the tahini, miso, lemon juice and zest, water and cayenne pepper in a small bowl.

Combine the cooked quinoa, chickpeas, beets and green onions. Toss with the dressing and then garnish with the toasted sesame seeds and parsley.

Serves 6.

More tempting beetroot salad recipes from Lisa's Vegetarian Kitchen:
Indian-style Beet Salad with a Yogurt Dressing
Beet and Feta Salad
Shredded Beet and Dill Coconut Salad

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