End of Summer Beet + Quinoa Tabbouleh Recipe

This summer we decided to plant a vegetable garden. Everything was going along swimmingly until the robust pumpkin plant had an unfortunate encounter with the dreaded powdery mildew, then we discovered some rather large, science-fiction like caterpillars feasting on our tomato plants and I’m still trying to figure out what ails my gorgeous purple heirloom beans.

beets | Dianna Bonny Photography

This garden has not escaped one of the great axioms of life: shit happens.

Remarkably, the beets remain unscathed, so I felt compelled to find a recipe to use them before their luck runs out.

Borrowing from my favorite trusty cookbook, Dr. Weil’s True Food, I have (once again) reworked a recipe to suit my tastes. It combines a few of my favorite ingredients, quinoa, beets and cilantro, and the result is a satisfying gluten-free dish, showcasing the beautiful pink hue that beets render anything and everything they come into contact with.

It is colorful and overflowing with healthy benefits.

quinoa tabbouleh recipe | Dianna Bonny Photography

 

Beet + Quinoa Tabbouleh Recipe

1 pound beets (3 large)

1 c quinoa, rinsed

½ c olive oil

1/3 c fresh lemon juice, or more if you like lemon

2 cloves garlic, mashed

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground pepper

1/3 – 1/2 c chopped cilantro

¼ c chopped parsley

4 scallions, chopped

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Wash and pierce beets and place in a foil-lined pan. Bake for 45 minutes to one hour, until tender. Fold foil over them to form a packet and allow to cool. Peel beets (using gloves or paper towels if you don’t want pink hands). Cut into small cubes.

Bring 1 ½ cups of water to a boil and add salt. Add quinoa and lower heat to a simmer for approximately 20 minutes, until light and fluffy. Cool. I like quinoa on the drier side but you can add more water if you want it mushier.

In a bowl, whisk lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper. Add beets, quinoa, cilantro, parsley and scallions. Serve over arugula leaves.

This is a pretty foolproof recipe. You might want to experiment and add chopped cucumber, arugula or walnuts for other interesting textures.

Our bodies are our vessels and eating nutritious, delicious food can be one of the most sacred acts of healing.

Enjoy!

The food you eat can be either the safest and most powerful form of medicine or the slowest form of poison.” -Ann Wigmore

-db

Who is Dianna Bonny?

Hi, my name is Dianna Bonny. It’s my mission to candidly share my journey with you. For me, it’s all about the healing: to create a radiant healing energy for others who have befallen a similar fate. Together, we can forge beautiful lives of belonging and connection. Thanks for joining me today! I look forward to hearing from you.

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