Name: Warm Nutty Superfood Salad
Yield: SERVES 1

Radhi Devlukia-Shetty

Quinoa is like salad’s secret weapon for filling you up without weighing you down. I especially love mixing white and red quinoa because the red has a nutty flavor and firmer texture, while the white is milder and creamier. Quinoa is also packed with protein, and here I complement it with other powerhouse ingredients like black-eyed peas, broccoli, and almonds. It all comes together with an Asian-inspired gingery dressing and is served warm, and it’s generally just an all-around feel-good salad.

SERVES 1

1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil

1 cup chopped broccoli (about ½ small head)

¾ cup cooked or canned black-eyed peas (rinsed and drained if canned)

½ cup cooked quinoa (I like a mix of red and white)

½ cup thin rounds or ¼-inch dice peeled carrots

⅓ cup pistachios, toasted in a dry pan until fragrant

¼ cup fresh, canned and drained, or frozen and thawed green peas

¼ cup pumpkin seeds

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves

¼ teaspoon sea salt

Soy-Ginger Dressing (see below)

⅓ cup raw almonds, toasted until fragrant in a dry pan, then roughly chopped

FOR THE SOY-GINGER DRESSING:

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1½ tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon rice vinegar

1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses (optional)

2 teaspoons light brown sugar

½ teaspoon grated fresh ginger

¼ teaspoon sea salt

1. In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the broccoli and cook, stirring, until tender but still firm, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the black-eyed peas, quinoa, carrots, pistachios, green peas, pumpkin seeds, cilantro, and salt and stir to combine. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook until the mixture is softened, 10 to 12 minutes.

2. Remove the pan from the heat and let the mixture cool, uncovered, for 5 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl or serving plate. Pour the dressing (see below) over the warm salad mixture and toss well to coat. Top with the toasted almonds and serve.

To make the Soy-Ginger Dressing:

1. In a jar with a tight-fitting lid, combine the olive oil, soy sauce, vinegar, molasses (if using), brown sugar, ginger, and salt. Shake vigorously to combine.

Excerpted from JoyFull: Cook Effortlessly, Eat Freely, Live Radiantly. Copyright © 2024 by Radhi Devlukia-Shetty. Photography copyright © 2024 by Alanna Hale. Reproduced by permission of Simon Element, an imprint of Simon & Schuster. All rights reserved.

Originally featured in Nourishing Plant-Based Recipes for Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner