Quinoa and Roasted Beet Salad

I love beets! I was happy to find a recipe in the Thug Kitchen Cookbook that used roasted beets in a cold salad. I am always looking for new ideas for lunch that are easy to prepare and that are cold. This was the perfect combination of being able to prepare in advance and being delicious.

I started by cleaning, peeling, and cubing the beets. I coated them with balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and salt. I roasted them until tender. In the meantime, I prepared the dressing by mixing together a decided shallot, Dijon mustard, balsamic vinegar, and olive oil. I also cooked a cup of quinoa. Once the quinoa was cooked, I transferred it to a bowl and stirred in chopped spinach (the recipe calls for kale, but I prefer spinach). I followed the spinach with the dressing and some fresh herbs. I added in the beets when they were done and I let the salad cool before serving. I scooped the salad into 4 containers to eat for a few lunches.

I did have to make one more substitution. I used red quinoa because that was the kind that I had at home. If I were to make this again, I would use white quinoa. I think this was a great salad that is perfect for lunch!