Quinoa Salad with Spring Onions, Tomato, and Feta

Of Montreal - Know Your Onion! (Shins cover)

The term "spring onion" is often used interchangeably with "green onion" and "scallion," but actually, none of these are the same thing. Steve Albert over at Harvest to Table offers a helpful breakdown of the three, explaining that each refers to a different stage of onion growth and offers its own flavor and use. You might hear spring onions referred to as salad onions, since they have a similar bite to mature onions but are usually mild enough to eat raw, in salads or otherwise.

Spring onions surfaced at my Greenmarket last week, and since I had never cooked with them before I thought I'd give them a try. I wasn't sure what I would do with them at first, but when I decided last night that my mint needed some serious pruning -- mint is a notoriously vigorous plant -- its clippings ended up being my inspiration for a salad.

Cold grain salads are one of my favorite things to make during the summer. Grains are a heartier (and usually healthier) substitute for pastas, and are just as amenable to any number of ingredients. I had some quinoa in my pantry cupboard, so I decided to combine my mint and onions with it and a few other ingredients for a simple, summery dinner.

Quinoa Salad with Spring Onions, Tomato, and Feta
Serves 8

3/4 c. olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon (roughly 2 tbsp.)
2 spring onions, thinly sliced
4 c. water
2 c. quinoa, soaked overnight or thoroughly rinsed under running water
2 tsp. salt
2 c. grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
1/4 c. fresh mint, chopped
4 oz. feta, crumbled
Salt and white pepper to taste

Mix olive oil and lemon juice thoroughly in a small bowl. Add sliced onions, making sure all of them are fully submerged. Set aside.

In a saucepan, add quinoa and salt to water, cover, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat and let simmer, partially covered, until all of the water is absorbed, roughly 18-20 minutes. Transfer cooked quinoa to a large mixing bowl and let cool for 10-15 minutes. When quinoa is still warm but not hot, add tomatoes, mint, feta, and the onions in olive oil and lemon juice. Toss gently but thoroughly until dressing is incorporated. Season with salt and pepper as desired.

Salad can be served at room temperature or chilled. Keeps in the refrigerator for up to three days.

Notes: Soaking the onions in the olive oil/lemon juice mixture will macerate them, which softens both their flavor and their texture. If you prefer, you can instead lightly sauté the onions in a bit of olive oil over medium heat, until just soft but not browned.

If you opt to soak your quinoa, make sure to change the water at least once during the process. Either way, it is essential to rid the quinoa of its saponins, which produce a bitter taste and a soapy froth in water. Some packaged quinoa will come pre-rinsed, but if you are at all uncertain, best to err on the side of caution.

Pearled barley or wheatberries are equally tasty grains for this salad. Simply prepare the grains as needed and follow the remaining steps for the salad.

Comments

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hmm... mint and onion combo. sounds tasty! this looks delicious!

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