Join my newsletter and get my free cookbook

Lowly Food

Blood Orange and Hemp Seed Quinoa Tabbouleh

In my opinion blood oranges most overlooked seasonal fruits. There’s something so tantalising about cutting into a round orange only to uncover a mottled red interior. Blood oranges are a surprising winter treat – coming into season around the end of January. So I thought it was best to refine a classic tabouleh recipe by substituting blood oranges in place of tomatoes. I’ve also swapped bulgur for a quinoa mix, to add a much more nutty and versitile flavour to compliment the hemp seeds and orange.

When to eat

I recommend eating this dish from January through to May. You can get blood oranges earlier in the season than January, but the best variety are the tarocco, from sicily, that takes a little longer to mature. Believe me they are well worth the wait.

Blood Orange and Hemp Seed Quinoa Tabbouleh

In my opinion blood oranges most overlooked seasonal fruits. There’s something so tantalising about cutting into a round
5 from 1 vote
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 6
Course Main Course, Salad, Side Dish

This meal is around 95% less polluting than the average UK meal.

Eating this recipe will save around 2.80 KG CO2e per person.

That’s equivalent to the emissions produced driving 23 KM in a modern car.

How do I calculate this?

Ingredients

  • 400 g Quinoa (I’ve used a mix of black/red/white)
  • 4 Tablespoons Hemp Seed
  • 5 Large Blood Oranges
  • 50 g Parsley
  • 30 g Dill
  • 30 g Mint
  • 6 Banana Shallots
  • 1 Teaspoons Kosher Salt
  • 2 Teaspoons Ground Allspice
  • 6 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Instructions

  • First cook the quinoa. Ensuring to wash the grains a few times under a cold tap in a sive. This will remove any bitterness from the quinoa. Then place in a pan and cover with twice as much water, season, and simmer for 10 – 15 minutes or until the quinoa has absorbed all the water. Remove from the heat, cover and let the quinoa steam for 5 minutes or so. Then tip into a large mixing bowl, fluff with a fork and allow to cool.
  • Peel, halve lengthways then very thinly slice the shallots. This is best done with a mandolin, but can also be done with a knife.
  • Using a very sharp knife slice the parsley, then the dill. Only run your knife over the herbs once as this will ensure the herbs don’t bruise and loose their flavour. Then, de-stem the mint and thinly slice the mint, again ensuring not to bruise the herbs.
  • Zest two of the blood orange skins into a small bowl, then prepare the oranges for chopping. You’ll need to remove the entirety of the skin and pith. The easiest way to do this is to slice the top and bottom off the orange so that it sits flat on the chopping board. Then run your knife from top to bottom on the side of the orange, following the contours of the orange so that the skin is removed. Work your way round the orange until no skin or pith is left.
  • Once all your oranges are peeled, halve them and remove the central pith with your knife. Then dice the oranges into 1 cm cubes.
  • Once your quinoa is cold add the chopped herbs and shallots to the mixing bowl. Stir to combine evenly. Then add the spices, salt and orange zest and fold well to incorporate. Next add the blood oranges along with the olive oil and give the salad a final mix.
  • Serve the salad with the hemp seed spooned over the top and another drizzle of the olive oil. In the picture I’ve served this salad with my roast cauliflower in a tahini and dill sauce – a match made in heaven. Why not check out the recipe [here](recipe link).

Hi i'm Hugo

I started Lowly to help more people discover sustainable food. Planet-friendly food doesn’t have to be bland and boring. My recipes celebrate how diverse and flavourful it truly is.

Read More

Related recipes

Leave a Reply