Quinoa Salad with Egg & Curry Dressing
Warm quinoa, golden sautéed vegetables, and a cold curry yogurt drizzled across the top. The cherry tomatoes burst in the pan with the zucchini and red onion, then join the quinoa while everything is still warm. A boiled egg cut in half sits on top, raisins tucked between the grains.
727 calories and 30 grams of protein from nine ingredients. The curry dressing is nonfat yogurt stirred with curry powder and a pinch of salt — cool against the warm salad underneath, ready in seconds.
Ingredients
- quinoa 3 ounces
- egg 1
- cherry tomatoes 6
- zucchini 1
- red onion 0.5
- olive oil 1 tablespoon
- yogurt, nonfat 2 fluid ounces
- curry powder 1 teaspoon
- raisins 1 ounce
Method
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Prepare the quinoa according to the instructions on the packaging.
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Boil the egg for 6-8 minutes.
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Cut the tomatoes in half and dice the zucchini. Finely chop the onion.
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Heat the oil in a frying pan and sauté the tomatoes, zucchini and onion for 5 minutes until they are golden brown and tender.
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Mix the yogurt with curry powder and salt to taste to create a sauce.
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Rinse the boiled egg with cold water, peel it and cut it in half.
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Combine the cooked quinoa with the sautéed tomatoes, onion and zucchini. Season with pepper and salt. Place the egg and raisins over the quinoa.
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Serve with the curry sauce.
Toss the raisins into the quinoa while it is still hot and they plump up, softening into each bite. Left cold, they stay chewy and concentrated. Fresh chives scattered over the finished bowl add a sharp, clean note against the curry dressing. If you want a different kind of sweetness, swap the raisins for chunks of pineapple heated briefly in the pan.
The egg in this salad does more than add protein. A clinical trial of 16 adults found that eating eggs with a carotenoid-rich vegetable salad increased total carotenoid absorption 8.4-fold. Cherry tomatoes are a lycopene source, and the egg yolk's lipid matrix helps transport that lycopene into the bloodstream during digestion.
Behind this recipe
Can I use Greek yogurt for the curry dressing?
Absolutely. It thickens the dressing and adds extra tang, which works well against the curry powder. If you pick a flavored variety, skip the extra salt since most are already seasoned.
Is 30 grams of protein enough for one meal?
For most people, yes. The old 20 to 30 gram ceiling was based on research that tracked amino acid oxidation over just a few hours. When scientists ran longer trials tracking actual tissue recovery and adaptation, higher doses kept contributing. Thirty grams is a solid serving, not a wall.
Read the full evidence reviewCan I make this ahead of time?
The quinoa, vegetables, egg, and raisins keep well together in the fridge for 2 to 3 days. Store the curry dressing separately and add it just before eating. Yogurt-based dressings thin out and pool when they sit on warm grains too long.
