Ottolenghi Simple is proving to be a go-to cookbook in my collection. I’ve also made this eggplant dish, rice noodle recipe and cheesecake. This quinoa salad with mushrooms and feta recipe was originally made with bulgar wheat in the book. I liked it with bulgar but I tend to always have red quinoa on hand. Quinoa also makes this gluten-free. Besides that, I love a good, warm quinoa salad. Mushrooms, caramelized onions, cumin and dill are all tossed with some balsamic and feta to make a very nice grain salad indeed. Any grain would work great here though!
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What kind of mushrooms to use in this quinoa salad?
Most of the time, I would recommend getting a variety of mushrooms. Different tastes, textures and sizes make for a more interesting salad. A few varieties I like are shiitake, cremini, oyster, maitake, beech and king trumpet. Mushrooms can be expensive such as chanterelles and porcini. To make this more budget friendly, use a mix of the common white button, cremini and maybe a few shiitakes. You can also just opt for one kind of mushroom.
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A note on balsamic vinegar and onions.
As written, the recipe only adds balsamic to the end of the cooking time for the mushrooms. Being a lover of acidity, I always opt to dress the entire quinoa salad with a few extra tablespoons of balsamic. I think grain salads could definitely use that extra hit of acidity. You could also squeeze half a lemon over everything instead. It’s a nice complement to the salty feta. The dill adds freshness overall and a punch of extra acidity would too. Just give it a taste at the end. Season and adjust everything to your palette, as I always suggest!
Please don’t let the words “caramelized onions” put you off from making this recipe. You won’t be standing at the stove for an hour stirring onions over low heat like you do for true caramelized onions. Here, you’re cooking the onions just until very soft and light, golden brown. Only 7-8 minutes! Another tip here is to add a tablespoon or two of water to the pan when it looks dry, instead of adding more oil. The steam will help the onions soften more quickly too.
Quinoa with Mushrooms and Feta
Ingredients
- 1 cup (185 g) quinoa (not pre-rinsed or pre-cooked)
- 1½ cups (350 ml) water
- 4 tbsp olive oil, divided
- 1 large onion, thinly sliced
- 1 tsp cumin seeds, divided
- 1 lb, 2 oz. (500 g) mushrooms, any variety or a mix, sliced or torn
- 2 tbsp thyme leaves, picked
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar (plus more, if desired)
- ½ cup (10 g) fresh dill, roughly chopped
- ½ cup (85 g) feta, crumbled into small chunks
- 1 tsp red chili flakes (more or less to suit your tastes)
- salt, to season
Method
- Place quinoa in a sieve and rinse under cold, running water for about 10 seconds. Place into a small pot, along with the water. Cover and set over high heat. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to as low as possible and cook for 20 minutes. Turn off heat and leave to steam for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork. Set aside.
- While quinoa is cooking, heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of oil to the pan. Add the onions and cook, stirring frequently, until very soft and light, golden brown, about 7-8 minutes. Add 1/2 teaspoon of the cumin seeds and season with a pinch of salt. Remove from pan and set aside.
- Add another 2 tablespoons oil to the pan. Add the mushrooms to the pan. (If your pan is on the smaller side, you may have to saute' the mushrooms in two batches.) Cook, stirring frequently, until mushrooms are browned and softened. Add the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of cumin seeds, thyme and a season with salt. Add the balsamic vinegar. It should sizzle and cook off to almost nothing left in the pan.
- Stir in the cooked quinoa, onions, dill, feta and red chili flakes. Toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Taste. Add up to 2 more tablespoons of balsamic for more acidity, if desired. Serve warm.
Notes
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Did you try this recipe and love it? Leave me a comment below or on my instagram or facebook page @cookbooksonrepeat.
This sounds so good! I love red quinoa and would never think to make a warm salad with it. Will need to give it a try.
Great! Hope you like it!
This looks delicious! Thanks for the tip about adding water to soften the onions. I’m going to give that a try!
No problem!
This dish looks amazing!! I can’t wait to try!
Thank you this recipe looks great. What could you substitute mushrooms with as my bf does not eat them?
Hi there! Any vegetable that pairs well with feta would work. I’d suggest bell peppers or zucchini, either roasted, grilled or pan-fried. Chickpeas would be great. You could take it mediterranean with olives, eggplant, feta and mint. Roasted cauliflower would work well too. Hope this helps!