Rainbow quinoa salad is the perfect vegan salad for everyone. It’s one of those salads which can make even the hardiest meat eater reconsider his ways. Firstly, it looks amazing with all the different vegetables. Secondly, this salad is so nutritious and delicious, it is a balanced meal by itself. There’s no need for serving it as a side dish with some meat or fish. Finally, you can add just about any vegetable or nut to this rainbow quinoa salad. Therefore, you can minimise waste in your own household and use up any leftover ingredients. Even these small things matter when it comes to saving the planet step-by-step. Let’s face it, we all have a responsibility to be more waste-conscious in our day-to-day lives!
the festival of ideas
The Festival of Ideas, New Scientist Live, is returning for its second-year from 28 September to 1 October 2017. Although the talks touch on plenty of areas of human life, there is one session of particular interest to me. This is the talk on feeding the world, by none other than the population biologist Charles Godfray. Charles Godfray, from the University of Oxford, explores our current global food system and ways to adapt to the challenges in the 21st century. His main focus is on the relationship between food and its production. You can access the website for more information on the talk here: https://live.newscientist.com/speakers/charles-godfray
So, let us explore into the world of food, production and waste management. It is easy to point blame at governments and large corporations but on a personal level we all bear some responsibility one way or the other. Statistics show that waste is spread throughout the food chain. It also concentrates on where we have the capacity to act, both at home and at work. For this reason, I think this rainbow quinoa salad is a perfect opportunity. Eating more vegan food is a great way to start being more responsible.
A lot of people tend to criticise this the vegan lifestyle and to some it simply doesn’t appeal. Another option is to buy into the latest trend, i.e. recipe box schemes but this may prove too expensive for those on a tight budget. The new meal plan companies do cater mainly for a subset of the middle class, as they do overprice their products. Hence, the real challenge, how do we scale up initiatives to get the entire population interested in living more sustainably and healthily?
reducing waste
Speaking of getting all people involved in terms of reducing waste, have you ever heard of the nose-to-tail cooking method? Basically, it involves cooking the whole animal, not only the most tender or popular cuts of meat. Even the less-favoured cuts can produce a lot of flavour in meals. This rule applies especially to red meat, as it is the most resource intensive to produce. In terms of living more sustainably, the easiest first step would be to eliminate red meat from your diet completely. Some people would find this lifestyle decision very difficult to execute.
If you are certain that you won’t be able to eliminate red meat completely for whatever purpose, then why not make a few tweaks? By that I mean, why not consume red meat only on special occasions? Even this would make a small difference. All in all, the first step perhaps is to substitute white meat over red meat. Once this step is 100% complete, you can then consider whether to make the next transition and eliminate meat completely. With foods like the rainbow quinoa salad and with vegan cuisine on the rise, it’s never been easier to make the jump to a plant-based diet.
the industry
Once people start making this change of eliminating meat or seafood for sustainability purposes there are consequences. What happens to agricultural workers? It’s important to remember that some people’s livelihoods are at stake. Therefore, it is important that farming policy and, in particular, rural economic policy allows this sector to adjust with as little damage as possible. Even though there would be positive health and environmental benefits, we need to take care of the industry and its people too. In any case, what needs to happen first is a paradigm shift in the collective consciousness of humans, and it’s happening! We all must engage more in thinking about food, taking more responsibility for the effects of what we eat on our own health and the environment.
There is one last factor to ponder upon. Being more sustainable and eliminating waste is not solely dependent on eating vegan food. It’s possible that a crop, which needs more water will be more sustainable in a wet region. So, it won’t necessarily be sustainable all the time. Still, rising food prices will rise hit the poorest in both in rich and developing countries. Currently, our unsustainable food production practices will undermine our capacity to produce food in the future. It is time to act now. Eat healthier, be more sustainable and start by reducing your red meat consumption.
colours of the rainbow
The reason why people refer to it as a rainbow salad is because of all the vegetables that go inside it. I used chickpeas, spinach leaves, carrots, spring onions red peppers coriander leaves and pumpkin seeds. To add more colour, some people use red cabbage and different types of bell peppers. You can also buy roasted bell peppers or even add sun-dried tomatoes for more flavour. Some avocado and/or blue cheese work well with this rainbow quinoa salad too. The best thing is, that this salad is very versatile. You can add any ingredients that you may have resting at the bottom of the fridge.
Next, make sure you put enough salt when you cook the quinoa. Otherwise, it tends to be quite bland. If the quinoa has enough flavour, then there is no need for a salad dressing. However, I’ve seen many recipes use tahini with a bit of oil to lend a nutty flavour to the salad. In order to distribute the flavours in this salad evenly, you’ll need a huge bowl for mixing purposes. Have you ever been into a proper salad bar for a quick lunch? They also use large bowls to mix everything!
📖 Recipe
Rainbow Quinoa Salad
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
Description
Rainbow Quinoa Salad is a versatile recipe that can be substituted with almost any kind of vegetable and nut. Environment-friendly and reduces waste too.
Ingredients
- 750ml (3 cups) cooked quinoa
- 1 can (400ml) cooked chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 120g (4oz) spinach leaves, washed
- 3 carrots, peeled and julienned
- 10 spring onions, chopped
- 2 roasted red peppers, thinly sliced
- 60g (2oz) coriander leaves, washed and finely chopped
- 60ml (4 tbsp) pumpkin seeds
Instructions
- Place all the ingredients in a bowl and stir well until everything is distributed evenly. Serve with your favourite salad dressing.
Notes
- You need 250ml (1 cup) of uncooked quinoa to produce 750ml (3 cups) cooked quinoa. Simply simmer in salted water for around 15 minutes or until cooked, then drain.
- You can buy roasted red peppers in jars at the preserves section with sundried tomatoes.
- Some avocado and/or blue cheese work well with this salad too!
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 605
- Sugar: 5.4 g
- Sodium: 164 mg
- Fat: 12.7 g
- Saturated Fat: 1.8 g
- Carbohydrates: 101 g
- Fiber: 13.9 g
- Protein: 24.4 g
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Natalie Crossan
We make a lot of soups xxx
michelle
soups are great for leftovers! agreed 🙂
Tracey Suzie Anderson
I minimise food wastage in a number of ways for exapmple:-
I look out for the reduced isle in Supermarkets and buy what i can that is freezable
I batch cook for the week so if i'm cooking a curry/ chilli/ cottage pie i will make double the amount and freeze for the following weeks meals
Use up vegetables by making soups and again the freezer is yur best friend here
Growing your own herbs and spices where possible. A great way to use up is to finely chop your basil/ parlsey etc and put into ice cube trays with a spot of water and you guessed it freeze! Ready fresh herbs and spices to add to your meals.
michelle
thanks for the tips Tracey 🙂 I also like to use up food by turning them into soups or making pasta bakes 🙂
Hayley Todd
I always meal plan before I go shopping, and make a list and try my hardest to stick to it and only purchase what is on there. I also cook sensible portion sizes, whereas before I did tend to over portion, especially for my girls, so lots of food would go in the compost heap!
michelle
wow, sounds like you are really sustainable 🙂
Vicky R
Reduce waste by planning meals and making use of the freezer!
michelle
clever!
Richard Eldred Hawes
All ready subscribed, always enjoy the articles I receive
michelle
Hi Richard, it's a pleasure to hear that you enjoy the articles! Get ready for some more delicious recipes coming up 🙂
Richard Eldred Hawes
When I prepare a meal I already have a plan as to how to use the food that is left over
michelle
clever 🙂
Tammy Neal
We plan set meals and buy shopping that way xx
michelle
same!
claire Little
we shop daily and have a dog.
michelle
haha LOVE THIS ANSWER Claire! 😀
Diana
Planing meals 🙂
michelle
same!
Ruth Wollerton
I try and food plan so I don't have loads of wastage. But if I do get leftovers I either freeze them or add them to other meals.
michelle
thanks for sharing Ruth!
Stephanie
I create leftovers into new dishes
michelle
what is your most common left over dish? 🙂 Mine's a pasta bake
Sarah Parker
I make an effort to cook things with ingredients that need to be used up 🙂
michelle
yep, I have this always towards the end of the week 🙂
Catherine l
Meal plan so we only buy what we are going to use!
michelle
clever!
Deborah Bird
I find planning meals helps and only shopping for the ingredients I need!
michelle
yep planning definitely helps!
Claire D
I shop daily, just buying what we need. This means we waste very little food.
michelle
sounds great!
Emma Davison
Watch portion sizes and Compost as much as possible.
michelle
I should try and watch portion sizes too!
Jane
I always take my extras into work for lunch and compost any veg peelings.
michelle
that's great!
Emma Smith
by using our compost bin
michelle
I have one too! 🙂
Lydia Graham
By buying loose vegetables so I can get what I need for the meal
michelle
thanks for sharing!
sarah fielding
By not buying lots of food just because it is on sale!
michelle
very clever! not easy to do this 🙂
paula cheadle
I only buy want I want
michelle
🙂
katie w
either freeze if possible or have leftovers for lunch the next day
michelle
yep, I m the same
Simone Griffin
I try to only cook what we need or freeze leftovers x
michelle
smart and sustainable 🙂
tina Glover
I do a weekly meal plan and I also batch cook and freeze leftovers and items in the fridge that are about to go off.
michelle
I batch cook too sometimes 🙂
francis lee
by making dishes in advance and freezing them
michelle
sounds good! I do the same
Susan Hoggett (@susanhoggett)
I always plan ahead so I can make best use of the food I have.
michelle
clever!
Lee Whittaker
By carefully planning our food shops and meals in advance
michelle
Yup I do the same:)
Sherrill todd
Eat leftovers for supper or packed lunch next day
michelle
clever!
Samantha
Signed up to newsletter
michelle
YEY!
Samantha
Only buying what I need, freezing if I get extra, especially bargains on the reduced counter
michelle
Great way to be sustainable 🙂
Sarah Prentice
freeze food! so much more can be frozen than one might think!
michelle
that's definitely true!
Lucy Morgan
I keep chickens which eat lots of our food waste 🙂
michelle
haha - CLEVER!!!
Carole Nott
Im careful with sell by dates and using food strictly in rotation
michelle
clever 🙂 me too. I am also very careful with dates
julie laing
Freeze what i can and base meals around what needs used first
michelle
Same!
Jessica Barber
This looks delicious! I minimise waste by sharing meals with friends and planning out meals before doing the food shop!
michelle
Hi Jessica. Great idea on the sharing part ! 🙂
Lizz
My freezer! And cooking anything I can't freeze raw.
michelle
Sounds good 🙂
Richard Tyler
We make meal plans so to use up last nights
Jason Tolliss
Cook in bulk and freeze
Rhia P
I meal plan each week, so we have very little leftover food to waste.
{Fab piece btw, I've been embracing 'flexitarianism' due to concerns for the environment, but you're right to highlight the other implications of going entirely plant-based} Thanks
Jo Carroll
To be fair we don't really have a great deal of food waste. Through experience I tend to get meal proportions pretty correct. What we don't eat immediately we either freeze or store in the fridge...plus with a hungry dog at home very little makes it to the recycle bin 😉
leanne weir
We plan and we also make use of the freezer a lot
cheryl hadfield
By batch cooking
Ashleigh Allan
By meal planning
Jade Hewlett
I plan meals in advance
Helen Tovell
I minimize food waste by menu planning to use all the ingredients I have bought
Kavita Favelle | Kavey Eats
Leftovers are often the best bit! Well, in some cases anyway! We try to make sure we use them effectively, as we hate waste. I love the colourful quinoa salad, looks like a visually appetising and delicious dish.
Solange
If we have any leftover potatoes and/or veg, we don’t throw it out. Once cool, we cover and store it in the fridge until the next day, when we can put it all together with some seasoning and make tasty Bubble and Squeak, or something similar depending on the ingredients.
Ritchie
I use leftover veg to make soups, stews and stock.
Suzanne
Use up any leftovers creatively before starting any new dish.
Rebecca Brown
I meal plan, only buy what I need when possible, freeze portions and split what I won't use all of with friends (splitting the price too!)
stuart hargreaves
BUY ENOUGH TO LAST THE WEEK DONT HAVE A FREEZER
Caroline H
We are not very good at eating leftovers - they never appeal. So I've got good at only cooking as much as we'll eat. I err on the lean side (without leaving us starving!). There's always fruit, cheese, toast, etc if anyone is still hungry.
Jen Schofield
By making meals in bulk and then freezing them in portion sizes.
Amanda Baggott
I plan my meals and only buy what I will use. It saves money as well as reducing food wastage!
rebecca h
I use a meal plan and then use left overs for lunchboxes or frozen for something else! saves lots of money too
amy bondoc
i do my main meall shop daily so eat what i fancy on the day so nothing gets wated, if ive leftover veg at the end of the week ip ll make a veg soup 🙂
Ren Taylor
We plan meals for the week, freeze any leftovers or have them for lunch next day......occasionally the dog gets lucky lol !
Fiona
Planning for all meals, bit boring but works!
Gingey Bites
This salad looks delicious and its always good to read more about how to reduce food waste! I find meal planning really helps me use everything up!
Andrea Upton
I plan what I am going to cook and then just buy what I need
laura banks
my hubby actually makes a little bit more so he can freeze it so when we are busy we already have homemade ready meals
Margaret Clarkson
Plan every meal carefully and shop according to meal requirements.
Jo McPherson
I always make a list of meals I am making each week, and create a shopping list from that so I don't just randomly buy food
Tracy Nixon
I use up my left overs and write a weekly meal plan and stick to it - so I only buy what I need and will use.
Tracey Peach
I minimise food waste by meal planning so I only buy what food I know I'm going to use