Quinoa was never on my favourite list until recently when a friend of mine prepared this recipe, and that changed my outlook to explore this wonder food. Trust me; it was a complete satisfying meal! And what threw me off was the simplicity of the dish; raw vegetables with no fancy sauces, just a simple lemon juice based dressing and it was Yumm!!

Before I indulge into the recipe, for those of you who do not know about this superfood Quinoa… it is considered as one of the healthiest food in this planet. The nutritional benefits of quinoa are endless; it’s gluten-free, high in protein (a great option for vegetarians), anti-oxidants, iron and magnesium. Quinoa cooks pretty fast than any other grains and is very easy to incorporate into your daily diet. You can add it to your salads, stir fries, and is also a healthy substitute to rice.

I have used all my favorite veggies in this salad bowl recipe. And YES, there is raw beetroot in this dish. Do you like raw beetroot? I prefer it mostly for my smoothies; check out my Beetroot Power Smoothie (its my fav!).  Beetroot is high in fiber, low in fat and high with anti-oxidants, whether it’s cooked or not.  Having raw beetroot in salad is intimidating at times, as many do not like its earthy smell. But pickling beetroot in lemon juice and salt helps to reduce its muddy taste and smell. In this salad you can use beetroot in many different ways, be it finely chopped/grated, cooked, roasted or even pickled.

Be creative, you can customize this recipe with your choice of fruits or vegetables. Adding nuts to your salad bowl provides hearty fats to your body; Almonds, Pistachios, Cashews are low calorie nuts which you can substitute for walnuts. Just keep in mind to use raw ones.

So enjoy this delicious colorful bowl of goodness!!!!

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Quinoa Salad Bowl

A Veggie Quinoa Bowl, loaded with Vegetables in a Zesty Cilantro Lemon Dressing… Simple, Healthy and Satisfying…!! 

Course Salad

Cuisine American

Keyword quinoa, quinoa salad, salad

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 40 minutes minutes

Servings 2

Author Akhila

Ingredients

• 1 small beetroot
• 1 carrot
• 1 onion
• 1 bell pepper
• 1 cup quinoa
• 2 lemon
• 2 tbsp cilantro leaves (chopped)
• Walnuts (topping)
• Salt and pepper

Instructions

• Peel the skin of the vegetables, thoroughly wash and rinse to clean. Chop them into small bite sized pieces.
• Squeeze the lemons and add salt to it to prepare a pickle juice, soak the beetroot and carrots separately (to prevent mixing of color) in it for 4-5 hours.
• Cook quinoa according to package directions. Remove from the heat and allow it to cool for 15 mins. Fluff it with a fork.
• Prepare the dressing by mixing lemon juice, cilantro leaves, salt and pepper in a bowl. Whisk until smooth.
• Mix cooked quinoa with vegetables, pour the dressing, and toss to mix together. Let it stand for 30 mins.
• Top with walnuts and serve in a bowl.

Notes

1. Make sure you buy fresh beetroots and wash them thoroughly under cold water.
2. You can use beetroot in many different ways for this recipe; finely chopped, grated, cooked, roasted, or even pickled.
3. Substitute walnuts with low calorie nuts such as almonds, cashews or pistachios.

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I’m sooo pumped up with my New Year resolution to bring you all the healthy stuffs this 2017, and so here is another simple recipe from my pantry to Detoxify…… A Clear Chicken Soup packed with the flavours of Cilantro, Ginger, and Carrots with a drizzle of Lemon Juice! The perfect comforting Appetizer on any wintery day…

Talking about the weather, we have been hit this winter with cold chilly winds, ice storms & freezing rains, limiting us to indoors a lot. And that always calls for something warm… Inside & Out! There is nothing better than curling under a blanket right next to your fireplace, with a bowl of soup in hand, watching a romantic movie or reading a book, and staying warm and cozy…

This simple clear soup is easy to prepare, flavourful, and packed with proteins, vegetables and nutrients. Cilantro being an ingredient in the green paste for this recipe plays a critical role in flavour as well as adding health benefits. It contains antioxidants, vitamins, & dietary fibers which help reduce blood cholesterol levels. Ginger; another ingredient used today provides anti-inflammatory properties thereby helping with digestion. These ingredients are perfect to boost your immune system and clear out any uneasiness, indigestion; keeping you strong and active throughout the weather.

This recipe is also good to empty your refrigerator; just throw into the cooker any leftover proteins, like chicken or turkey. And if it’s bone-in, even better! I badly wanted to include celery in my recipe today but ran out of it in my pantry, so had to limit myself with carrots & onions.

So all set to cleanse your body? Sip a bowl of this wonderful detox soup to feel alive again.

Enjoy, Happy Cooking…!!!

Follow me on Instagram and tag #pepperdelightblog to all your pictures of Pepper Delight recipes you try out. Rate below if you love it…!

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Chicken Cilantro Detox Soup

A Clear Chicken Soup packed with the flavours of Cilantro, Ginger, and Carrots with a drizzle of Lemon Juice! The perfect comforting Appetizer on any wintery day!

Course Soup

Cuisine American

Keyword chicken soup, detox soup, soup

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes minutes

Total Time 45 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Akhila

Ingredients

• 4 pearl onions
• ½ tsp black pepper corns
• 1 small bunch of cilantro leaves
• 1 large chicken breast/left over chicken
• 2 carrots (chopped into bite size pieces)
• 1 medium onion (chopped into cubes)
• 1 small piece of ginger (finely chopped)
• 4 cups of low sodium chicken broth
• 1 tbsp oil
• Salt (as required)
• Pepper (as required)
• 1 cup water
• Lemon slices

Instructions

• Grind the pearl onions, pepper corns and cilantro leaves to make a green paste.
• Heat oil in a pressure cooker; add the sliced onions, chopped ginger, and saute until fragrant.
• Add chicken, green paste, carrots, chicken broth, water and a pinch of salt, place the lid and pressure cook for 3 whistles. Take the cooker off the flame, and allow it to rest till the pressure goes.
• Take out the cooked chicken breast from the cooker and shred using a fork or slice into small pieces.
• Add the shredded chicken back to the cooker, mix and season well with salt and pepper.
• Serve soup hot with a drizzle of lemon juice and garnish with chopped cilantro.

Notes

1. You can add any vegetables of your choice including celery, zucchini.
2. Use leftover boned chicken pieces while making the soup as the bones enhance the flavour.
3. You can substitute chicken with Turkey.
4. I have used Swanson’s Chicken Broth which is gluten free.
5. If you are using a whole chicken, replace stock with water while following the instructions.

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