Quinoa with Oven-Dried Tomatoes and Smoky Tomato Vinaigrette

Heather Christo

 VEGAN • SUGAR-FREE • MAKE-AHEAD

PREPARATION 20 MINUTES

COOK TIME 1 HOUR 30 MINUTES

SERVES 6 TO 8

This is a dish that celebrates the flavor of fresh tomato and basil all year round. I often make this in the months when you can still get cherry tomatoes, but they are not at their peak. By oven drying the tomatoes, you get the concentrated flavor of the tomato, with a chewy and crispy texture that I adore. I serve this as a side dish, but it also makes for easy lunches and snacks throughout the week. It might even taste better after sitting for a day or two and is great cold.

OVEN-DRIED TOMATOES

• 1 pound cherry tomatoes, halved
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more as needed
• 2 cups white quinoa, rinsed and drained
• 1⁄2 cup dry white wine or vegetable broth or chicken broth

SMOKY ROASTED TOMATO SAUCE

• 1 garlic clove, coarsely chopped
• 1⁄4 cup red wine vinegar
• 1⁄4 cup olive oil
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• Kosher salt
• 2 green onions, thinly sliced
• 1⁄2 cup minced fresh flat-leaf parsley

DIRECTIONS

1. To make the oven-dried tomatoes: Preheat the oven to 250°F.
2. Arrange the cherry tomato halves in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet and drizzle them with the olive oil. Sprinkle with salt. Bake the tomatoes for 90 minutes, then set aside to cool.
3. Meanwhile, cook the quinoa: In a medium pot, combine the wine, the 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 cup water and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Add the quinoa and bring back to a simmer. Cover, reduce the heat to very low, and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and let sit for 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the lid, fluff the quinoa with a fork, and transfer to a large bowl to cool.
4. To make the smoky roasted tomato sauce: In a blender, combine ¼ cup of the juiciest oven-dried tomatoes, the garlic, vinegar, olive oil, and paprika. Purée on high until smooth. Season with salt.
5. Add the tomato sauce to the quinoa and mix well. Add more salt if necessary. Gently fold in the remaining oven-dried tomatoes, green onions, and parsley and serve immediately or store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Reprinted from Pure Delicious by arrangement with Pam Krauss Books, a member of Penguin Group (USA) LLC, A Penguin Random House Company. Copyright © 2016, Heather Christo LLC