Vegetarian asparagus and quinoa salad

Vegetarian asparagus and quinoa salad with asparagus, nutty quinoa and hard cheese. A fresh lunch in one bowl, dressed with olive oil and lemon.

At a glance

• Serves 2
• Prep time: 15 min
• Cooking time: 15 min
• Total time: 30 min
• Calories: 380 kcal per serving
• Protein: 18 g
• Fat: 18 g
• Carbs: 35 g

Ingredients

• 100g quinoa
• 400g asparagus
• 50g vegetarian hard cheese (Parmesan-style)
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp lemon juice

Method

You’ll need: frying pan · saucepan · chopping board · knife · mixing bowl · sieve

1. Rinse the quinoa thoroughly in hot water in a fine sieve – that way it loses its bitter compounds.
2. Cook the quinoa in twice the amount of lightly salted water for 15 min, until small rings appear around the grains.
3. Snap off the woody ends of the asparagus, cut it diagonally into thumb-thick pieces and fry it in a frying pan over a high heat.
4. Whisk the olive oil with the lemon juice and fold the dressing into the lukewarm quinoa in a large bowl.
5. Add the hot asparagus, carefully fold in the coarsely shaved hard cheese and serve the salad straight away.

Good to know

Quinoa brings protein of its own, so this fresh asparagus salad makes a satisfying meal even without any meat.

Swaps

Quinoa → millet (if you don't have quinoa at home – millet cooks exactly the same way and brings a slightly sweet note).

Cooking tips

Fry the asparagus without water. Dry-roasting it in the hot pan caramelises its own sugars and intensifies the flavour enormously.

Storage

Cooked quinoa soaks up dressing like a sponge. If you're eating the salad the next day, mix in another small splash of olive oil.

Allergens

Contains milk (hard cheese). Completely gluten-free and nut-free.