Description

Since the pea shoots in this salad are delicate, I usually pass the dressing at the table and let guests spoon it over themselves. Variations abound: Try noodles or a grain other than quinoa, or different market vegetables, such as asparagus, radishes, red peppers, spring onions, fresh mint, or basil. Add a little spice to the dressing, if desired, with sriracha or sweet chili sauce. Look for pea shoots at most local farmers markets.

Ingredients

Units Scale

The salad

1/2 cup quinoa
Salt
3-4 cups pea shoots, rinsed and spun dry in a salad spinner
1 cup red cabbage, sliced razor thin
1 large cucumber, cut lengthwise into quarters and sliced
1 large carrot, peeled and shredded, (~1/2 cup)
1-2 cups snap peas or snow peas, strings removed, parboiled for 30 seconds and ran under cold water to stop cooking
3 cups shredded roasted chicken breasts (optional)
1/2 cup unsalted peanuts, roughly chopped (optional)

The peanut dressing

1/4 cup smooth peanut butter
3 Tbsps fresh lemon juice
5 Tbsps peanut or olive oil
4 Tbsps water
1 garlic clove, minced
2 Tbsps honey
2 Tbsps soy sauce
3 Tbsps chopped fresh cilantro leaves

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Instructions

Rinse the quinoa with a fine mesh strainer. Add to a small saucepan with 3/4 cup of water and a good pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, lower the heat to low and cover. Simmer for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the water is absorbed and the quinoa is transparent. Remove from heat, leave it covered for 5 minutes, then fluff it with a fork and let cool.
Place the quinoa, pea shoots, red cabbage, cucumber, carrots, and peas in a bowl, along with the shredded chicken, if using. Top with chopped peanuts, if desired.
To make the dressing, in a medium bowl, whisk together all of the ingredients until well mixed. Taste with a bit of the salad, and make any adjustments — does it need to be sweeter? Saltier? It should taste delicious. Serve the dressing on the side.

Notes

If using chicken, shred about 3 cups of meat from 2 chicken breasts. Consider this recipe for Two Whole Roasted Chickens (with more ways to use leftovers). Refrigerate until ready to use.
The chicken, quinoa, salad, and dressing can be prepared a day ahead and combined just before serving.
Try using a julienne vegetable peeler for cutting the carrot into beautiful julienne strips, especially if you don’t have a food processor with a shredding attachment.