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    Home > Salads

    Broad Bean and Quinoa Caprese Salad

    Published: Jul 4, 2019 · Modified: Jun 4, 2021 by Nicky Corbishley

    Go to Recipe Print Recipe
    broadbean and quinoa caprese salad on a wooden board with ingredients scattered around

    Those amazingly juicy tomatoes, the aromatic basil, the slight crunch of the cabbage, cucumber and quinoa and the creaminess of the mozzarella and broad beans.  This Broad Bean and Quinoa Caprese Salad just works! A light drizzle of balsamic vinegar and olive too? Yes purrlease.
    broadbean and quinoa caprese salad on a wooden board with ingredients scattered around

    Summer really isn't trying very hard this year. A few lovely days, then back to rain and clouds again.

    I'm still living in hope of  summer-dress-wearing-sangria-drinking-BBQ-eating days throughout July and August before I start to live off stews and soups and custard covered puddings.

    This gorgeous Broad Bean and Quinoa Caprese Salad is one of my ways of telling myself it's JULY!! Days out, beer gardens, picnics, dinner outside. I'm channeling all the positive vibes.

    This salad is really simple to put together, with most of the ingredients needing no preparation except a quick chop.

    Chopped up ingredients on a board for broadbean and quinoa caprese salad

    The only bit of effort goes into preparing the broad beans and cooking the quinoa.

    For those of you who've never prepared broad beans before, it's a little time consuming but totally worth it.  I like to double-pod them - which means popping the beans out of their fur-filled pod, boiling for a couple of minutes and then popping each individual bean out of its creamy coloured skin to reveal the bright green little bean hiding inside.  If you like a bit less fuss and don't mind eating the slightly chewier outer skin, then you can just single pod them.

    Broadbeans sliced open and removed from pods on a board

    Personally I find it quite therapeutic to sit there shelling beans, it makes me feel quite homely and old-fashioned.  It's also a great job for the kids - as they can help do the prep for you without the need for knives or peelers.

    Close up of a cooked broadbean being shelled by hand

    After that, it's a simple case of building up the salad. I like to serve it in a big sharing bowl, so everyone can dig in and help themselves]:

    animation showing the building of a broadbean and quinoa caprese salad

    If you're anything like my carnivore of a husband (Chris, you know it's true), you're probably looking at this and asking 'where's the meat?' If you need it, I'd suggest the addition of something a little salty like crispy bacon or chorizo.

    Close up image of broadbean and quinoa caprese salad on a wooden board

    I'm still slowly trying to incorporate a vegetarian day and a fish day into our diet every week.  I think I've got the fish day firmly in there now with tasty recipes like Seafood Laksa and Fish Tacos. The vegetarian one is progressing a little more slowly.  With food that tastes as good as this though? I think I'm on to a winner!

    Other additions to your salad:

    • Buttermilk chicken (everything taste better with crispy chicken)
    • Bacon, chorizo or diced ham - for the people who just can't do without a little meat in their dinner
    • Carrot fries for even more colour

    More salad recipes:

    • Crispy Lamb Salad
    • Chicken noodle salad
    • Panzanella Salad with Saganaki
    • Griddled Halloumi and Peach Salad with Homemade Lemon Pesto
    • Cajun Chicken with Coriander and Lime Rice salad
    • Guacamole and Egg Breakfast Salad

    Or of course there's my book Seriously Good Salads - out on the 16th July!

    You can find all the info, have a sneak peak of some of the recipes and pre-order here.

    Can I make this salad ahead?

    You can make most of this salad ahead. I would leave off adding the avocado (slice it and add it to the salad right before serving to prevent it turning brown). Also don't pour on the dressing. You can make the dressing up ahead, then cover and keep it at room temperature for a day or two.

    Apart from the avocado and dressing, the rest of the salad can be made up, covered and refrigerated for up to 2 days,

    The Broad Bean and Quinoa Caprese Salad Recipe:

    broadbean and quinoa caprese salad in a large bowl

    Broad Bean and Quinoa Caprese Salad

    By: Nicky Corbishley
    Use that glut of broad beans to make a beautiful broad bean and quinoa caprese salad topped with crumbled feta. A filling and flavourful summer salad.
    5 from 1 vote
    Rate this Recipe Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 30 minutes mins
    Cook Time 20 minutes mins
    Total Time 20 minutes mins
    Course Dinner, Lunch
    Cuisine British
    Servings 4 people
    Calories 512 kcal

    Ingredients
     

    • 1 cup (170g) dried quinoa and bulgur wheat mix
    • 1 veg stock cube
    • 14 oz (400g) broad beans (fava beans) in their pods - - this should give you approx. 1 cup (130g) shelled beans
    • 1 raw sweetheart cabbage - sliced into ribbons
    • 2 cups (40g) pea shoots
    • ¼ cucumber - chopped into small chunks
    • 1 avocado - de-stoned, scooped out and sliced
    • 16 mini mozzarella balls
    • 12 mixed colour cherry tomatoes - sliced in half
    • 6 radishes - sliced
    • ½ cup (50g) feta cheese, crumbled
    • Small handful of baby basil leaves

    Dressing

    • 3 tsp olive oil
    • 3 tsp good balsamic vinegar
    • ¼ tsp salt
    • ¼ tsp black pepper

    INSTRUCTIONS
     

    • Cook your quinoa and bulgus mix as per the pack instructions, but with the addition of the stock cube in the water for added flavour. Once cooked, drain and transfer the quinoa to a bowl. Fluff it up a little with a fork and leave it to cool whilst you prepare the rest of the salad.
    • Put a pan containing about 2 cups (approx. 500ml) of water on to boil for your broad beans. Make a slit in your broad bean pods and open them up. You should see creamy looking beans nestled in what looks like pillows of fluff. Pop the beans out of the pods and place them in the boiling water.
    • Boil for 2-3 minutes and then drain them and place them in a bowl of cold water.
    • Take one of the beans and make a small slit in the skin with your fingernail. Pop out the small bright green bean inside onto a plate. It will be a little bit slimy, but this dries quickly. Repeat with the remaining beans.
    • Assemble your salad by placing the quinoa and bulgur mixture in a large serving bowl. Add the cabbage, pea shoots, cucumber, avocado, mozzarella balls, tomatoes, radish slices and broad beans.
    • Sprinkle on the crumbled feta and arrange the basil leaves on top.
    • Prepare the dressing by mixing the dressing ingredients together in a small bowl. Drizzle on top of the salad. Sprinkle on a small pinch of salt and pepper if you like

    ✎ Notes

    Quinoa:

    I like to use a quinoa and bulgur wheat mixture. I use around 170g (1 cup) of dried quinoa-bulgur - which gives you about 500g (2 and ¾ - 3 cups) of cooked quinoa-bulgur.
    You can buy ready-cooked stuff from the supermarket if you prefer - but I like to cook mine at home with a stock cube for a little extra flavour.
    You could also replace the with all quinoa, all bulgur or couscous is you prefer.

    Broad Beans (fava beans):

    Use fresh rather than canned or frozen broad beans for more flavour.
    You can sometimes buy cooked and  shelled fresh broad beans from the supermarket.
    You could also replace with edamame beans - which are similar in flavour - if you prefer.

    Cheese:

    Use good quality mozzarella pearls and barrel-aged feta cheese if possible for the best flavour.
    If you're a vegetarian, make sure they're a vegetarian version (they often are anyway).
    .
    Nutritional Information is approximate and is per serving (this salad makes 4 servings).

    Nutrition

    Serving: 4gCalories: 512kcalCarbohydrates: 48gProtein: 25gFat: 27gSaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 30mgSodium: 609mgPotassium: 902mgFiber: 14gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 995IUVitamin C: 136.4mgCalcium: 312mgIron: 3.6mg
    Keywords salad, summer salad, vegetarian
    Tried this recipe?Mention @KitchenSanctuary or tag #KitchenSanctuary on Instagram!

    This post was first published in August 2014. Updated in 2019 with a few improvements to the recipe, new photos and extra tips.
    Wanna see one of the photos from back then (when I barely knew how to hold a camera...)? Yeah, my photos were this bad:
    Broad bean and Quinoa Caprese Salad - healthy, simple and oh so tasty. 342 cals per serving (402 with balsamic oil dressing)!!

    Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links – which means if you buy the product I get a small commission (at no extra cost to you). If you do buy, then thank you! That’s what helps us to keep Kitchen Sanctuary running. The nutritional information provided is approximate and can vary depending on several factors. For more information please see our Terms & Conditions.

    Hi I’m Nicky

    I love to cook and I want to share with you my favourite, delicious family friendly recipes. I want to inspire you to create fantastic food for your family every day.

    Read More

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    Reader Interactions

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    1. Kath says

      January 21, 2019 at 1:21 pm

      5 stars
      Gorgeous light, healthy lunch. Love the combination of quinoa, broad bean and mozzarella.

      Reply
    2. Michael says

      August 27, 2014 at 5:33 pm

      Love your salad, quinoa and especially the mozzarella balls! 🙂

      Reply
      • Nicky Corbishley says

        September 01, 2014 at 9:24 am

        Thanks Michael 🙂

        Reply
    3. Christine says

      August 27, 2014 at 4:23 pm

      Ahhhh this looks amazing! Your description of all the ingredients totally have me drooling and I'm a huge fan of balsamic vinegar on anything and everything! Great recipe!

      Reply
      • Nicky Corbishley says

        September 01, 2014 at 9:23 am

        Thanks Christine. Me too, anything with a bit of green goes with balsamic in my opinion!

        Reply
    4. Natalie Tamara says

      August 27, 2014 at 10:50 am

      Yum! I love the idea of adding quinoa into a caprese to create a fuller meal 🙂

      Reply
      • Nicky Corbishley says

        September 01, 2014 at 9:22 am

        Thanks Natalie, glad you like it 🙂

        Reply
    5. Ahu Shahrabani says

      August 25, 2014 at 11:53 pm

      I love quinoa and eat it 2-3 times a week, but never thought to turn it into a caprese salad - what a great idea! I will be trying this !!!

      Reply
      • Nicky Corbishley says

        August 27, 2014 at 9:51 am

        Thanks Ahu, glad you like it 🙂

        Reply

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    Hi I’m Nicky

    I love to cook and I want to share with you my favourite, delicious family friendly recipes. I want to inspire you to create fantastic food for your family every day.

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      Nicky Corbishley is the recipe creator and photographer for Kitchen Sanctuary. Wife to Chris (chief techie and videographer) and mum to Lewis and Gracey. Read More…

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