Green Bean, Quinoa and Sprout Salad

Well, there’s an inch of snow on the ground, so I suppose introducing my new favorite Spring salad today makes sense.

I made this one a few weeks ago, when the weather was 80 degrees and it felt like warm-weather forever was right around the corner. That’s one of the things I keep needing to remind myself about living in St. Louis. There is a Spring here. And, Spring doesn’t mean what it meant in California. Spring is filled with sunny days, rain showers and the occasional snow storm. While I might be ready to pack away my sweatpants for cut-offs, we’ve still got weeks of frost ahead.

Last year was our first year of the garden and it was, at the same time, a success and a failure. My tomatoes were perfect, even if they didn’t really begin to ripen until November. My lettuces were eaten almost entirely by the sweet family of bunnies that lives under our porch and my zucchini needed me to pollinate it; God save the bees.

I may love to cook, but I’ve got a long way to go in achieving a green thumb. So, I spent most of yesterday researching best practices for organic gardens, what to plant when, and, of course, how to build a fence to keep out my furry little friends.

This salad makes me swoon for Spring. I left the garden store yesterday with three packets of sprout seeds, so it’s safe to say that this one will also be in my future again and again over the next few months.

A salad that proves you don’t need lettuce to be delicious. Tender green beans, carrots, peppers, broccoli, sunflower sprouts, quinoa and a bright, lemon dressing. It’s packed with fiber and plant-based protein, filling enough to be a main meal, yet simple enough as a side.

Like most salads that I batch-prep for the week, I combine all of the ingredients together except the grain and dressing. Then, right before I’m ready to serve, I’ll toss the three together. To keep the vegetables crisp, store them in an air-tight bag or container and place in the crisper. This will usually keep them for at least 3 days. Store the dressing in a mason jar and the quinoa in a separate container.

I know the blanching vegetables step is a pain, but it helps to keep the crispness of the vegetables and their beautiful, bright colors. So, I don’t recommend skipping it.

If you try this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment, rate it, and tag your Instagram photos with #delishknowledge . I absolutely love seeing your creations. Happy cooking! 

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