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I am a sucker for grain salads. I make one nearly every Sunday as part of my weekly food prep routine. They’re perfect for quick lunches throughout the week or can be served as a quick side dish for dinner. And this Spring Dandelion Greens Quinoa Salad is an easy way to incorporate dandelion greens into your diet while they’re in season.
The information in this post is intended for educational and entertainment purposes only. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. It is always best to work with a qualified healthcare professional before incorporating herbs into your diet.
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Why You Should Be Eating Dandelion Greens
Dandelion greens are an underappreciated leafy green that are completely loaded with nourishing health benefits. In fact, they’re one of the most nutrient-dense leafy greens you can eat. They provide good amounts of calcium, potassium, iron, folate, and vitamins A and C. They’re also loaded with antioxidants, protecting the body against oxidative stress.
As an herbal remedy, dandelion greens are loved for their diuretic effects. They help flush excess fluid from the body, lowering blood pressure and supporting the detoxifying efforts of the kidneys.
Dandelion greens are also quite bitter, which means they help to stimulate and support healthy digestion. The Standard American Diet has all but eliminated the bitter flavor from our common diet. But bitter foods like cruciferous vegetables and herbs like dandelion, chamomile, angelica, mugwort, and gentian are incredibly good for gut health and can help to relieve a lot of common digestive issues like indigestion, bloating, poor appetite, and constipation.
The addition of fennel in this recipe further helps support digestion, reduce inflammation in the digestive tract, and relieve gassiness. Plus it tastes delicious.
Spring Dandelion Greens Quinoa Salad
For this spring grain salad, I sauteed onions, mushrooms, and dandelion greens in a pan. Then I added the quinoa and some bone broth and let it all cook together in the pan until the quinoa was tender.
Once it’s finished cooking, I stirred in some sliced almonds for an added crunch. Then I serve this salad with a drizzle of tahini balsamic vinaigrette. It’s also perfect with a healthy scoop of hummus (homemade, if you have the time/inclination).
I like making my grain salads using quinoa because it’s a complete protein. Which is somewhat rare among plant proteins. Sometimes I’ll toss some leftover cooked chicken on top if I want to increase the protein. You could also add a cup or so of cooked white beans or chickpeas with the quinoa to up the plant protein even more.
And, of course, a bit of crumbled feta or goat cheese would be absolutely delicious on this healthy grain salad.
And that’s it! It’s simple. It’s certainly not fancy. But it is delicious, satisfying, and nourishing. And that’s what I’m after when it comes to meal prepping.
Spring Dandelion & Mushroom Quinoa Salad
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons ghee or avocado oil
- 1 medium yellow onion diced
- 1 cup sliced mushrooms
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
- 1 cup quinoa (any type works)
- 2 cups bone broth or vegetable broth
- ¼ cup sliced almonds
- Salt and pepper to taste
Tahini Balsamic Vinaigrette
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
- 2 tablespoons tahini
- 1 teaspoon honey or maple syrup
- 1 garlic clove minced, or ⅛ tsp garlic powder
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Thoroughly rinse the quinoa in a colander. Set aside.
- In a large pan with a well-fitting lid, heat the ghee or avocado oil over medium heat. Once hot, add the onion and mushrooms. Season with a pinch of salt and saute for a few minutes until the onions begin to turn translucent and the mushrooms have softened.
- Add the minced garlic and fennel seed and sauteed for about a minute until fragrant, being careful not to burn the garlic.
- Add the rinsed quinoa and the bone broth to the pan and stir to combine. Then increase the heat and bring the mixture to a boil. Once boiling, add chopped dandelion in an even layer on top.
- Once boiling, cover with the lid and reduce the heat to a simmer. Let it simmer for 15 minutes until the quinoa is tender. If there’s excess liquid in the bottom, increase the heat to medium and let it cook off a bit, stirring occasionally. If the quinoa isn’t quite cooked, add a few more tablespoons of liquid and let it cook another 5 minutes or so.
- Add the sliced almonds and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Stir to combine.
- Serve the quinoa salad with a healthy scoop of hummus and drizzle with balsamic vinaigrette.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
