Browse All Recipes

Quinoa with peas, beans, lemon and herb

Australian Gourmet Traveller recipe for quinoa with peas, beans, lemon and herbs.

By Lisa Featherby
  • 30 mins preparation
  • 20 mins cooking plus drying
  • Serves 6
  • Print
    Print
Quinoa with peas, beans, lemon and herb
This salad will keep well in the refrigerator if prepared a day ahead. The trick is drying out the quinoa after cooking to maintain the intensity of flavour; excess moisture will dilute the dressing.

Ingredients

  • 300 gm quinoa
  • 300 gm baby green beans, trimmed
  • 200 gm podded peas (about 520gm unpodded)
  • 2 cups coarsely torn flat-leaf parsley
  • 1 cup coarsely torn dill
  • 1 cup each coarsely chopped mint and chervil
  • ¼ cup coarsely torn tarragon
  • 125 ml extra-virgin olive oil (½ cup)
  • 80 ml lemon juice, or to taste (1/3 cup)
  • Rind of ½ preserved lemon, rinsed, finely chopped
  • 1 cup (loosely packed) each pea tendrils and baby English spinach
  • To serve: edible petals such as nasturtium

Method

Main
  • 1
    Cook quinoa in a large saucepan of lightly salted boiling water until tender (13-15 minutes), drain well, then spread on a large tray to cool and dry (30 minutes).
  • 2
    Meanwhile, blanch beans and peas until tender (2-3 minutes for beans, 3-4 minutes for peas). Drain and refresh (see cook’s notes), then drain well and transfer to a large bowl. Add herbs, oil, lemon juice, preserved lemon and quinoa, season generously to taste, toss to combine and refrigerate until required.
  • 3
    Toss pea tendrils and spinach through salad, scatter with petals and serve.