If you live in the Los Angeles area, you have probably heard of Erewhon. It is an upscale health food store known for its organic, local & sustainable groceries as well as prepared foods. I have been shopping at Erewhon for more than 10 years and am fortunate to have created a couple of signature juice blends for their markets. But I have to say, one of my favorite items at Erewhon is their Dandelion Quinoa salad. I talk a lot about the benefits of quinoa, but did you know that eating dandelion can be super immune-balancing?
You may be most familiar with dandelion as a stubborn weed that never seems to leave your lawn or garden. However, in traditional herbal medicine practices, dandelions are revered for their wide array of medicinal properties. They are considered to be anti-inflammatory as well antiviral and they are loaded with vitamins and minerals.
Even if you do not live in LA, you can make this simple yet delicious recipe at home.
EREWHON’S DANDELION QUINOA SALAD
serves 4-6
INGREDIENTS:
For the salad:
8 oz organic green or red dandelion
8 oz organic red quinoa (cooked)
8 oz organic chickpeas (cooked)
1 oz organic green onion (sliced tops and bulbs)
INGREDIENTS:
For the dressing:
1 1/2 Tbsp Champagne Vinegar
¾ tsp Dijon mustard
½ tsp sea salt
pinch organic black pepper
3 oz organic olive oil
DIRECTIONS:
Wash and dry off dandelion, trim off about an inch from the bottom. Cut into ¾” pieces. In a bowl, combine dandelion, quinoa, chickpeas and sliced green onion. In a separate bowl, whisk all dressing ingredients. Pour dressing around the outside of the larger bowl and mix well by folding from outside to the center.
