Warm Quinoa Salad from the Middle East

My passion for food has begun to include foods like quinoa and kale that I didn’t really eat growing up. Those two components are relatively fresh discoveries for me, and now I can’t get enough. It’s wonderful to know that there are these incredible, nutritious power meals that are also quite delicious. This quinoa salad with Middle Eastern flavors is a good example. I’ve combined the complex tastes of my favorite Middle Eastern food into a single salad that serves as a whole meal. The best thing is that I finished putting it together in just 30 minutes!

The fantastic blend for the quinoa salad with warm Middle Eastern flavors. Such a variety!
Chickpeas, butternut squash, spices, and kale were all generously included in the warm Middle Eastern quinoa salad concoction. I must admit that I bought my butternut squash already chopped, which was a little dishonest of me. The pan was completely full after everything was added, but I guarantee it cooked down!
the flavorful cooked quinoa for the savory quinoa salad from the Middle East.
I prepared the quinoa component of the meal while the salad mixture was cooking. To add flavor, the raw quinoa was briefly boiled in stock. The way the little tendrils protruded was gorgeous. I fluffed it up with a fork when it had done cooking.

I added the other ingredients for the delicious warm Middle Eastern quinoa salad to the skillet and gave everything a good swirl. That was all too simple! I portioned it out into large bowls and sprinkled chopped cilantro on top of the salads to provide some extra freshness. Oh my gosh, this salad was everything you could want. It may sound strange to say, but it was beefy without containing any actual meat. There were leftovers for the next day since Marc and I were satisfied with only one meal. This warm Middle Eastern quinoa salad was my sort of food since it was quick, delicious, and really healthful.

Components of the salad
1 dash olive oil flavored with truffles
one 28-ounce can of chickpeas with half the liquid set aside
1 pound of chopped butternut squash
3 packed cups of coarsely chopped kale leaves
1 cup apricots, dried
1 cup of raisins, dry
1/2 teaspoon garlic, minced
2 pinches of sea salt truffle
half a teaspoon of cinnamon
1/2 nutmeg teaspoon
Half a teaspoon of turmeric
1/2 teaspoon of cilantro
walnuts, chopped, 1 cup
Blueberry balsamic vinegar, 1 dash
A quarter cup of apple cider vinegar
25% of a cup of vegetable stock
DUE TO THE QUINOA
two cups of vegetable broth
1/four teaspoons of cinnamon
1⁄4 nutmeg teaspoon
1⁄4 teaspoon each of turmeric and coriander
1 dash of salt
1 cup of plain, uncooked quinoa
chopped fresh cilantro as needed for topping

Instructions
In a large rondeau pan set over medium-high heat, warm the olive oil. Add the butternut squash and beans, along with half of the bean liquid, and let everything boil together for two to three minutes.
Leaves from the kale, dried apricots, currants, garlic, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, turmeric, coriander, walnuts, blueberry balsamic vinegar, apple cider vinegar, and vegetable stock should all be added. Turn the heat to low while stirring the mixture. Allow 15 minutes for everything to blend together.
Make the quinoa in the interim. Bring the vegetable stock to a boil in a small saucepan.

Add the salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, turmeric, coriander, and other seasonings as it begins to heat up for flavor. When the liquid has reached a rolling boil, add the quinoa and stir. Low heat should be used with the pot covered. Cook the quinoa for 12 to 15 minutes, or until it is soft and the liquid has been completely absorbed.
After the quinoa has finished cooking, add the remaining salad ingredients to the skillet and combine everything. After that, simply spoon it into dishes and garnish it with some finely chopped fresh cilantro. Enjoy!