Kapha-Pacifying Recipe: Moroccan Quinoa Salad

I’m happy to announce that salad season is finally here! With the warmer days we are better able to digest raw foods, and the late spring and transition into summer is a great time to start incorporating the lighter raw vegetables and foods into our diets. Plus, it’s the kapha and pitta times of year and both of these doshas can favor the lighter fare. 

I have to admit this is definitely my favorite time of year for just this reason. I love the crisp crunch of veggies. One of my favorite things to make is a roasted vegetable salad with fresh raw greens mixed in. This way I’m not aggravating my vata too much, since it is still the easiest dosha to go out of balance.

This salad incorporates a lot of great things that are balancing to pitta, but still slightly warm enough to melt away any residual kapha that may be lingering. To top it off, it is super easy to make and ideal for a quick lunch!

I hope you enjoy this as much as I do!

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon avocado oil
• ⅓ zucchini chopped
• ⅓ parsnip peeled and chopped
• ½ cup spaghetti squash cooked (The best way to do this is to use a fork and poke into the squash. Then roast in a 400 degree oven until a knife easily slides all the way in. This takes anywhere from 35–50 minutes depending on the size of the squash. When done, let it cool, then slice open and remove the seeds. Using a fork, fluff the meat of the squash until it comes out like spaghetti.)
• ¼ cup red quinoa
• ¼ cup amaranth
• 1 cup water
• Salt to taste
• 2 teaspoons Moroccan seasoning (you can get a pre-made mix from your favorite market)
• 1 persian cucumber, chopped
• ½ avocado, sliced
• Your favorite greens (I use an organic “super greens” mix which is a combination of spinach, chard, kale, and arugula) to lay the cooked veggies on
• Feta cheese to sprinkle on top

Directions:

In a small pan, warm the oil and toss in the parsnips, cooking until they start to soften. Then add the zucchini. Once the parsnips are semi-soft (as in, you can almost use a wooden spoon to cut through), and the zucchini is nice and soft, add the spaghetti squash.

Sprinkle the salt and Moroccan seasoning over the veggies and coat well—you want to make sure that the flavor is evenly distributed.

Add the quinoa and amaranth and incorporate well to make sure they are nicely coated in the oil and seasonings. Then add the water and cover the pan so that the grains can cook in the steam.

While the veggies and quinoa are cooking, lay the greens on your plate and add the cucumbers.

Open the lid of your pan after 7 minutes. The water should be completely evaporated. If you need to add more water to allow the quinoa to cook longer, do so now. Otherwise your cooked veggies are done.

Layer the mixture on the greens, add the avocado on top, and finish it off with the feta!

Enjoy this great (and super quick and easy) salad during these warm spring/summer days!