By Jolinda HackettVegetarian Food Expert
Spicy Sweet Potato and Quinoa Salad
This sweet potato quinoa salad recipe is high in protein, low in fat,
and high in spicy and sweet flavor! Whole grain quinoa cooks quicker than most grains and is an excellent source of protein for vegetarians with about 11 grams of protein per cup of cooked quinoa.
I love the way the quinoa sort of sticks to the sweet potatoes in this dish, creating a completely new texture. It makes me want to try this recipe with kaniwa (quinoa's baby cousin), or even teff, which I find to be extra "sticky", as far as whole grains go.
This quinoa salad recipe makes for a great main dish or a salad (not sure why it can be either a main dish or a side dish? Here's one way to think about it.) Bring this vegetarian and vegan quinoa salad to a picnic, potluck or outdoor barbecue and impress your friends!
This recipe is vegetarian and vegan. If you need it to be gluten-free as well, be sure to use a gluten-free vegetable broth, or, just cook the quinoa in plain water. All of the other ingredients, including the quinoa, sweet potato, bell pepper lemon juice and salt and pepper are gluten-free, and it never hurts to double-check the ingredients list on your spices, such as cayenne pepper, just to make sure there's no additives.
