Snap Pea Salad with Green Beans, Walnuts, and Crispy Quinoa

Method8 steps

1. 1

   Step 1: Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Spread ¾ cup walnuts on a baking sheet and toast until golden and fragrant, about 10 minutes. Cool completely, then roughly chop; reserve for step 7.

   Toast walnuts · 10 minUses ¾ cup walnuts

2. 2

   Step 2: Combine 1 cup dry quinoa and 1½ cups water in a saucepan. Simmer for 13–15 minutes, until fluffy and the water is absorbed. Remove from the heat, cover, and let steam for about 10 minutes. Spread on a sheet pan, break up clumps with a fork, and cool completely before crisping.

   Simmer quinoa · 13 minUses 1 cup dry quinoa · 1½ cups water

3. 3

   Step 3: Heat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Toss all the cooled quinoa from step 2 with 1 tbsp olive oil, ½ tsp kosher salt, and ¼ tsp Aleppo pepper. Spread on a rimmed sheet pan and bake for 25–30 minutes, turning with a spatula about every 10 minutes, until golden and crisp. Cool before topping the salad. This makes a full component batch: measure ½ cup of the finished crispy quinoa for step 8 and refrigerate the surplus promptly after cooling.

   Crisp quinoa · 25 minUses All the cooked and cooled quinoa from step 2 · 1 tbsp olive oil · ½ tsp kosher salt · ¼ tsp Aleppo pepper

4. 4

   Step 4: While the quinoa crisps, put the trimmed and diagonally sliced ½ lb green beans in a large skillet with ½ cup water. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce to medium-low and simmer about 3 minutes, until crisp-tender.

   Simmer green beans · 3 minUses ½ lb trimmed green beans · ½ cup water

5. 5

   Step 5: Remove the skillet with the green beans from step 4 from the heat. Add the trimmed and sliced ½ lb snap peas and cover immediately. Let stand about 3 minutes, until the snap peas are bright green and still crisp. Drain any remaining water and cool the vegetables uncovered.

   Steam snap peas · 3 minUses The green beans and remaining steaming water from step 4 · ½ lb trimmed snap peas

6. 6

   Step 6: In a large bowl, combine 1 tsp lemon zest and 3 tbsp lemon juice from the lemon with 2 minced garlic cloves, ½ tsp kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper (to taste) to taste. Whisk in 2 tbsp olive oil.

   Uses 1 tsp zest and 3 tbsp juice from 1 lemon · 2 minced garlic cloves · ½ tsp kosher salt · Black pepper to taste · 2 tbsp olive oil

7. 7

   Step 7: Toss the cooled vegetables from step 5 with all the dressing from step 6. Gently fold in 1 cup crumbled feta, all the toasted chopped walnuts from step 1, 4 sliced scallions, ½ cup chopped parsley, ½ cup chopped mint, and 2 oz baby arugula. Keep the feta pieces intact.

   Uses All the drained and cooled vegetables from step 5 · All the dressing from step 6 · 1 cup crumbled feta · All the cooled and chopped walnuts from step 1 · 4 sliced scallions · ½ cup chopped parsley · ½ cup chopped mint · 2 oz baby arugula

8. 8

   Step 8: Divide the salad from step 7 among 4–6 plates or shallow bowls. Sprinkle ½ cup total of the crispy quinoa from step 3 across the portions and serve immediately. Keep the remaining crispy-quinoa batch for another use.

   Uses All the dressed salad from step 7 · ½ cup finished crispy quinoa from step 3, divided across the salad