quinoa crunch salad

with green goddess dressing

One of my all-time favorite salads is the tea leaf salad from the Burma Food Group in the Bay Area. I think what makes it so loved—by me and many others—is the abundance of crispy, crunchy bits. Almost as if the salad is half greens and half crunch, making the texture incredibly fun to eat. On top of this, the dressing, which is made with tea leaves, is bold and deeply flavored. Just another reason this salad stands out.

This recipe is not for Burmese tea leaf salad, but it is inspired by the same idea— a mix of fresh greens, loads of crunchy bits, and all tossed together in a dressing that is brightly flavored and delicious on its own.

What is especially great about this salad, is that much of that texture comes from the superfood that is quinoa. Once cooked as usual, it is then coated in oil and toasted in the oven until golden and crispy. This is a brilliant technique to have in your back pocket to elevate your salad game to the next level. I have also included a simple chicken skewer recipe at the bottom as an idea of what to serve with it.

crispy quinoa crunch salad with green goddess dressing

quinoa crunch salad
86 grams (1/2 cup) dry quinoa
36 grams (1/4 cup) sunflower seeds
1/2 an avocado
4-5 oz gem lettuce heads or butter lettuce
6-12 fresh english peas stalks (optional)
1 x fennel (optional)
1 x small cucumber (optional)
2-4 scallions stalks
a handful of herbs (ie cilantro, mint or parsley)
a big chunk of feta or other cheese, to finish (optional)
olive oil, to finish (optional)
flaky salt and black pepper

garlicky green goddess dressing
26 g (2 tbsp) yogurt
26 g (2 tbsp) whole milk
1/2 an avocado
15 g cilantro bunch and top stalks (or alt herb)
10 g garlic chives (or regular chives or alt herb)
1/2 to 1 clove of garlic, grated on microplane
1/2 - 1 jalapeno green chili, de-seeded
1 x lemon, zest and juice
2 tbsp olive oil
1/4 tsp maple syrup or sugar
pink salt or flaky salt, to taste
water, to thin as needed

directions

1. Add ½ cup quinoa to a colander and rinse with warm water. Transfer to a pot and add 1 cup + 1 tablespoon of boiling water from the kettle. Season with a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce to low, cover, and cook for 12–14 minutes. Fluff with a fork or spoon, cover again, and let rest off the heat for 10 minutes or more. Set aside to cool slightly.

2. Meanwhile, in a blender, combine yogurt, milk, ½ an avocado, olive oil, maple syrup, and salt. Roughly chop the herbs, finely grate half the garlic clove, and add both to the blender. Zest and juice the lemon and add to the blender (making sure not to get any lemon seeds in there). Chop half a jalapeño, discard the seeds for a more subtle heat, and add to the blender. Blitz until smooth. Taste and adjust with more jalapeño, garlic, or salt as needed. Store in the fridge until ready to serve. If the dressing is very thick, then you can thin it out with a little water.

3. Toast sunflower seeds on a dry baking tray in a 275°F oven for 8–10 minutes, tossing after 5–6 minutes, until golden. Transfer to a bowl, season with flaky salt, and chill in the fridge. If you already have toasted sunflower seeds, feel free to use those.

4. Raise the oven to 350°F. Toss 2–3 tablespoons of olive oil into the cooked quinoa, then spread it in a baking dish in an even layer. Bake for 30-34 minutes, tossing every 10–12 minutes for even browning. Once done, transfer to a bowl and chill in the fridge for at least 20 minutes while preparing the rest of the salad. You can also prep this in advance — the quinoa gets even crispier when made the night before or earlier in the day.

5. Soak sliced cucumber in ice water to enhance crispness. If using peas, remove them from the pods. Boil a pot of water, blanch peas for 1 minute, then transfer to the ice bath with cucumber.

6. Finely chop fennel, cucumber, and scallions. Add to a large mixing bowl along with the gem lettuce. (Feel free to mix and match the vegetable base — for instance, this also works well as a simple gem lettuce salad with the quinoa and dressing, or can be made extra crunchy without the gem lettuce and a base of fennel, cucumber, peas, and scallions)

7. Add the chopped veg to a large mixing bowl, add a handful of tender herbs, the remaining ½ avocado, and most of the crispy quinoa and sunflower seeds (reserve some for topping). Add a few generous dollops of dressing and toss until everything is well coated. Add more dressing as needed.

8. Transfer to a serving plate. Top with the reserved crispy quinoa and sunflower seeds. Serve with the extra dressing on the side for spooning over. You will likely have more dressing than you need — it’s delicious and will keep well for the next couple days.

9. Serve the salad as is, or pair it with an additional protein of your choice — such as the simple chicken skewers recipe below.

additional notes

This salad makes a lovely lunch on its own. For dinner, or when I want something a bit more filling, I like to add a protein to the table as well. This could be some jammy eggs, fish, or chicken. One great option is the simple (bonus recipe!) oregano-garlic chicken skewers below.

oregano-garlic chicken skewers with pickled red onion

ingredients
for the skewers
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken thigh
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
4 garlic cloves
fresh oregano leaves
dried oregano
1 tsp pink salt
oil to cook
black pepper, to finish
flaky salt, to finish
tender herbs such as cilantro, mint or parsley, to finish
sunflower seeds, to finish (optional)
wooden skewers (or reusable metal ones)
for the pickled red onion
1 small red onion
2-3 tbsp red wine vinegar
1/4 tsp sugar or maple
1/4 tsp pink salt, or more to taste

directions

1. In a bowl, combine the red wine vinegar and olive oil. Season with 1 teaspoon of salt. Finely grate or chop the garlic and add it to the bowl. Add a handful of fresh oregano stalks and a generous pinch of dried oregano to the bowl.

2. Cut each chicken thigh into 3 or 4 even pieces and add them to the marinade. Let marinate for at least 1 hour, or up to 24 hours — the longer, the better for tender skewers.

3. This step can also be done in advance as well - Thinly slice the red onion with a mandoline, or as thin as possible by hand. Place the sliced onion in a bowl with red wine vinegar, sugar, and salt. Toss well and let sit for at least 1 hour, or store in the fridge for a few days.

4. Remove the marinated chicken from the fridge 30 minutes to 1 hour before cooking. During this time, remove the chicken from the marinade and pat dry with paper towels to help with browning. You can save the marinade to reduce down if you would like for extra flavor in the skillet method (see step seven for this).

5. If using wooden skewers, soak them in hot water before adding the chicken (can be skipped for metal skewers). Thread the chicken pieces onto the skewers by folding each piece over the skewer point a couple of times. Each one will have a few chicken thigh pieces and should be held tightly together on the skewers. Continue until all the chicken is used.

6. Preheat a grill or cast iron pan over medium-high heat until very hot. If using a skillet, add 1 tablespoon of high-heat oil. Cook the skewers for 4–6 minutes on the first side, then flip and cook for another 2–4 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. Once cooked, transfer the skewers to a plate to rest. The temperature should reach 165F after resting.

7. Optional step if using a cast iron skillet: once the chicken is done cooking, turn off the heat and pour the remaining marinade into the skillet. It should bubble and simmer in the residual heat. Scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Let the marinade reduce for a few minutes. If needed, turn the heat back on to low to help it thicken further. Drizzle the reduced sauce over the skewers before adding the final touches.

8. Finish with a sprinkle of flaky salt, black pepper, fresh herbs, sunflowers seeds (optional) and the pickled red onions.