Red Quinoa Salad

Kind Lifer Diana submitted this yummy looking recipe from the Culinary Institute of America. It originally calls for fish sauce, but you can veganize it by using Mam Nem Chay - Vietnamese vegetarian fish sauce - instead. If you can’t find any at your local grocer, you can improvise with a mix of light soy sauce, a splash of pineapple juice, a bit of agave and a splash of chili sauce. I haven’t tried this, but I can’t wait to hear what you think! ~Alicia Silverstone

Prep time: 15 minutes | Cook time: 30 minutes | Total time: 45 minutes | Servings: 4

Ingredients 

For Quinoa

• 2 cups of Cooked red quinoa, about 1.5 cups raw
• 2-3 slices of ginger
• 1 tablespoon of chopped cilantro
• 1 tablespoon of sliced scallions
• 1 tablespoon of torn mint leaves
• 1/4 cups of winter squash, diced into small pieces

For nuoccham sauce

• 3 tablespoons of vegan fish sauce
• 1/4 cups of lime juice
• 2 1/2 tablespoons of vegan brown sugar or 1 teaspoon agave nectar
• 1/2 Thai chili, paper thin sliced (use whole chili for some spice)
• 1 1/2 tablespoons of water

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Toss squash with with a bit of olive oil and pinch of curry powder and roast until just done.
3. Meanwhile, bring 1 1/2 cups water to boil. Add a pinch of salt, ginger slices and quinoa, and cover. Simmer until done, about 15 min.
4. Make nuoc cham sauce by mixing fish sauce, lime juice, sugar, thai chili & water.
5. Toss quinoa, cooked squash, scallions, cilantro, and mint with nuoc cham sauce.
6. Serve chilled or at room temperature.