I recently made a big batch of kimchi to use in the Kogi kimchi quesadillas and luckily I had a bunch left over. I was looking for a lighter meal and I was thinking that a quinoa salad with kimchi would be nice. Since I had some zucchini in the fridge there was no question that I would be adding some and I thought that it would work best if it was grated. I then bulked the salad up a bit with some black beans which I always enjoy using in salads like this. I knew exactly what I wanted to use as the dressing; the gochujang dressing that I have been using for a while now is full of flavour and it works really well on salads of all kinds. In fact it is a little like a Korean barbecue sauce where it has a nice heat but that heat is balanced by a sweetness, a saltiness and a tartness and finished off with some sesame flavours. This zucchini and kimchi quinoa salad was really easy to make and it turned out great! It was nice and light and yet filling and healthy and packed with flavour! The kimchi worked really well in the salad and the gochujang dressing really shone and both brought a nice amount of heat.
Zucchini and Kimchi Quinoa Salad
ingredients
- 1 cup red quinoa
- 2 cups water
- 1 cup black beans
- 1 cup zucchini (grated)
- 1/4 cup kimchi (chopped)
- 2 tablespoons gochujang dressing
- 1 green onion (sliced)
- 1 jalapeno (sliced)
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds (toasted)
directions
- Simmer the quinoa in the water until the water is absorbed, about 20 minutes.
- Mix the quinoa, beans, zucchini and kimchi and toss with the dressing.
- Serve garnished with green onions, chilies and toasted sesame seeds.
VeggieGirl says
September 5, 2009 at 10:54 pmYou've done it again, Kevin!! Your recipes get better and better every time you post 🙂
Anonymous says
September 6, 2009 at 12:49 amAlmost feel the taste in my mouth! Nice photo too …
Have a nice day!
catalinakolker says
September 6, 2009 at 1:10 amOoo, that looks so good and inviting !
Congratulations !
Toni says
September 6, 2009 at 4:05 amLove the combination of flavors here, Kevin. I've been on a quinoa kick recently, but hadn't thought of adding kimchi. Terrific idea!
Nina Timm says
September 6, 2009 at 4:12 amI looked at the pictures of all 4 salads in this page and I realized that your cooking is just so far beyond mine. The flavors that you use is just so amazing Kevin!!
Divina Pe says
September 6, 2009 at 5:43 amI just love kimchi but with quinoa, now this is something different. Who would have thought that you used to cook boring meals every single day? This is winner.
Happy cook says
September 6, 2009 at 8:28 amLove that way you have used shreded zucchini and that salade looks really good and beautiful.
Joanne says
September 6, 2009 at 12:55 pmBetween the kimchi and the gochujang, this must be one of the most flavor-packed salads out there! Perfect to spice up lunch and/or dinner.
Donalyn says
September 6, 2009 at 1:11 pmThat looks yummy! Love those flavors, so I will be giving this a try for sure. Thanks for stopping by my blog so often and for your kind comments – much appreciated! I'm givng this post a Stumble, so others can enjoy it too.
Rosa's Yummy Yums says
September 6, 2009 at 1:58 pmWhat a beautiful salad! very healthy and savory!
Cheers,
Rosa
Jamie says
September 6, 2009 at 3:20 pmLovely. And if it does taste like Korean BBQ then it is for me! I love this combo of flavors!
CinnamonQuill says
September 6, 2009 at 3:55 pmThis has to be one of the most unique flavor combination ever! Amazing. As usual.
Ivy says
September 6, 2009 at 4:19 pmHow creative Kevin! Sounds delicious and so healthy as well.
eatme_delicious says
September 6, 2009 at 6:00 pmKevin you always make the most interesting salads! You should put together a salad cookbook!
pigpigscorner says
September 7, 2009 at 2:28 pmThis is really interesting, great use of kimchi!
Avispa says
October 15, 2009 at 7:26 pmI just made this because I was looking for a way to use up some of the kimchee in the fridge, and it changed my world! So yummy! Thanks for the amazing recipe!
Claude says
July 10, 2010 at 7:56 pmSo, there I was, having just made a quinoa-kim chi pairing, wondering if I might've been the first. Not so: pipped at the post, as they say. Great recipe, Kevin.