I am always thinking about how I can prepare low FODMAP veggies and fruits in new and interesting ways. Carrots have been calling out to me for a while. We’ve all had plenty of carrots cut into sticks, sliced and diced, steamed, boiled and baked. Lately, though, I have wanted to make carrot the main ingredient for a salad.
This salad made a great side for a roasted chicken that I had marinated in Indian spices and lactose-free yoghurt. I wasn’t cooking potatoes or any other carbohydrate, so the quinoa made a nice inclusion.
Quinoa is a good source of protein which, as I can vouch for after this meal, helps keep you feeling satisfied for longer (meaning I don’t go looking for dessert!) I cooked the quinoa with some gently toasted ginger, cumin and coriander, which gave it a warm spicy undertone. I spread the cooked quinoa out in a shallow bowl to cool before combining with the grated carrot and spinach and some chives.
I chose small-sized carrots for their sweetness. The salad was finished with a lemon and olive oil dressing and a scattering of chopped cashews. In all honesty, I don’t cook a lot of quinoa because not everyone in my family gets excited about it. So it was surprising to me that this salad was enjoyed by all around our dinner table. I noticed no one else went hunting for a snack before bedtime either; gotta be happy with that!
If quinoa is not to your taste, you could try using basmati rice, cooking it the same way as the quinoa without rinsing at the start. Instead of cashew flaked almonds would be nice. I think this salad would also be good with some paneer (Indian yoghurt cheese) or even grilled haloumi.
