Quinoa, Watercress and Mango Salad with Lime-Curry Vinaigrette

Last weekend I made quiche for a brunch and while it was good, it wasn't great; the recipe needed work. But then when I thought about the stick of butter that was used in the crust, and the 12 ounces of heavy cream that were used in the custard, not to mention the cheese that was stirred into the custard, it occured to me that perfecting a quiche recipe is not the way to go at all. Better to work on perfecting a salad -- a salad so good that you crave it.  

Also, a salad that you can take to work for lunch, preferably one that you can make beforehand and happily eat for a day -- or two or three. My rate of packing a lunch for work becomes much higher if I'm not making a salad each day. This was my lunch for three days this week and it held up suprisingly well.

Mango is the star of this salad as far as I'm concerned. Quinoa in of itself wouldn't hold my interest but makes an excellent foil for the mango and spicy dressing. Watercress has a peppery leaf which also adds an element of contrast. Watercress's other virtue is that the sturdy leaf holds up so well. Four days after it was made the leaves were not at all wilted. I don't tear or cut the leaves either which I think helps in preventing wilting.  

Roasting the peppers for this is a step I skipped because it would have increased the preparation time and roasting peppers is a pain. However, roasted peppers absorb the dressing better. On the other hand, unroasted peppers add a nice crunch.

The recipe is adapted from Raising the Salad Bar and the original recipe used chickpeas rather than quinoa. Raising the Salad Bar is a terrific book full of excellent inspiration. As I leaf through it I find myself drawn to almost every recipe.

Quinoa, Watercress and Mango Salad with Lime-Curry Vinaigrette

serves 3-4

1 cup quinoa, rinsed thoroughly if not using pre-rinsed quinoa
1 mango, diced
1 red pepper, roasted, seeded, ribs removed, and diced (or skip the roasting)
1 bunch watercress, stems removed

Lime-Curry Vinaigrette

2 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder
1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
1 teaspoon honey or brown sugar
4 tablespoons canola oil
Salt and pepper

1. Whisk the vinaigrette ingedients together and set aside

2. Put quinoa, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1 1/2 cups water  in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover pan and cook for 13 to 15 minutes, until water is absorbed. Turn off the heat and let the quinoa sit until it has cooled completely.

3. Toss the quinoa with enough dressing to moisten. Taste for salt and add if needed. Add the watercress, mango, and peppers and toss, adding enough additional dressing to lightly coat. Grind a little black pepper over all, taste again for seasoning. Serve.

Comments

[Elkizabeth]

What a beautiful mix of awesome flavors. and hey- that quiche was DELICIOUS!! hush. :-D

[Tim]

This looks amazing. It is so good to see colorful food in the middle of this long winter. Thanks for the inspiration.

[Heather]

ohh. that lime curry sounds so good!

[michaela]

i love quinoa. this is a good recipe that can easily be varied with different beans and spices. http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Quinoa-with-Grilled-Zucchini-Garbanzo-Beans-and-Cumin-242997

[Kelly]

Yum. I'm definitely going to try this.

[Baltimore Lurker]

I am not ashamed to admit my fondness for Rachel Ray who uses "canned" [=jarred] roasted peppers in her dishes. Why wouldn't that work for this?

[Kitt]

Looks delicious, and knowing it can hold up over a few days seals the deal. I love a hearty salad for lunch at work. I keep a big glass bowl in my desk for that and soups. Desk lunches are much nicer if you have a proper place setting instead of plastic.

[pigtown*design]

The quiche was delish!!! And now I know what you did with the leftover mango!

[adele]

That sounds like a great salad. I haven't been baking quiche, but I did spend a week trying to iron the bugs out of a recipe for Tarte Tatin. Maybe it's time for a salad week. :)

[Selba]

Oh wow... it's colorful and looks so delish :)

[claudia (cook eat FRET)]

salad sounds excellent
i really want to try
all i need is some mangos and limes and watercress
and i'll be at whole foods tomorrow

it could happen

[Jennifer]

Fabulous combination!!! It looks so fresh!!

[Lydia (The Perfect Pantry)]

What a nice, summery salad -- and one we can actually make in the middle of winter! I love quinoa and am really trying to incorporate it into my diet more often.

[angelaineurope]

This looks great. I love trying new recipes with quinoa as it seems to be one of the new super foods. Thanks for this!

[Susan from Food Blogga]

I just love fresh salad with cooked grains, and this one has all of my favorite flavors tossed in. It's just so lovely for a bright and cheerful.

[finsmom]

I am loving Quinoa lately - great to find another recipe to use it!

[KT]

This salad looks great! I love that cookbook and have tried many salads but not this one. The cover recipe (the avocado & arugula one) is nice, but my favorite might be the pesto chicken BLT salad. Probably one of the least healthiest in the book, vs the one you've cooked here which is so good for you :)

Great photos too, thanks for sharing.

[angelaineurope]

I made this (with a few adjustments) and it was fantastic. Thanks for the idea!

[Dirk]

Amazing colors! Some dishes are almost too beautiful to eat. Almost! I will try very soon...

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[inadobo]

This looks excellent. I'm going to have to give this one a try!

[Jude]

So many nice textures.. I bet the semi-crunchy quinoa goes great with creamy mangoes.

[Dawn Smith]

That quiche sounds delicious...I have gotta try this... right away M gonna get the ingredients from www.myethnicworld.com.

[RecipeGirl]

I've wondered about that cookbook. Maybe I'll give it a go!

[zahavah]

I'm trying this tonight as a test recipe for Passover!

[Olga]

ooh mango is my favorite fruit! This sounds like such a refreshing meal!

[Dawn Smith]

The salad looks delicious..sounds like a lovely way..all i need to get some of the ingredients...right away i'm gonna get the ingredients from www.myethnicworld.com and try it this weekend...thanks.

[maggie (p&c)]

I'm bookmarking this—am looking for a good quinoa recipe to use up my stash.

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that was realy good...try this Thai style Papaya salad

2 Servings
1 1/2 tablespoons palm sugar 3/4 lime 2 cups green papaya, shredded 6 green beans 1 clove garlic 1 1/2 tablespoons fish sauce 1 tablespoon dried shrimp 2 chili peppers 5 cherry tomatoes 2 tablespoons peanuts, toasted the papaya can be peeled and shreded using a regular cheese grater with medium to large sized holes. Discard any seeds that got into your bowl.
Smash a clove of garlic first. Then add green beans and halved cherry tomatoes. Pound a few times just to bruise the beans and get the juice out of the tomatoes. Add chili peppers and crush them just enough to release the hotness, unless you like your salad really hot. Add the green papaya, dried shrimp, toasted peanuts, fish sauce, lime juice and palm sugar. Use the pestle to push the mixture up in the mortar and the spatula to push it down so that the mixture is mixed well. Add dried shrimp, fish sauce, lime juice and palm sugar to the bowl. Add green papaya and mix well. Serve with sticky rice and a sliver of cabbage, green beans and Thai basil.

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This mango looks like it’s almost ripe. Have you tried mango salads with greener or firm mangos? I prefer the crunchy texture to this sweeter and softer taste.

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[Kelley]

I have say that I am not a fan of salads, but that watercress/lime-curry salad is gorgeous! It's on my list to try!