Colorful Quinoa Salad with Herbs and White Beans

You can vary the colorful quinoa salad with herbs and white beans as you wish.

Nutrient profile: According to GDA guidelines, one portion of this recipe covers approximately ¾ of the daily requirement of folic acid and 66% of the daily requirement of manganese. The omega-3 fatty acids are covered by over 60% and the essential amino acid tryptophan and the trace element copper by over 50%. The ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids is 2:1, which is significantly below the recommended maximum ratio of 5:1.

Serving size: The indicated amount is sufficient for a main course of about 3-4 portions or for a side dish of 6 portions.

Quinoa: Quinoa is not a grain. The small Inca grain is a goosefoot plant and belongs to the same plant family as beetroot and spinach. The vitamin content and nutritional value is roughly comparable to that of rice. However, the protein content is higher and the pleasantly nutty quinoa contains a larger amount of polyunsaturated fatty acids (but fewer carbohydrates). Quinoa contains significantly more minerals and about twice as much iron and 50 percent more vitamin E than wheat.

Linseed oil: Also known as Linseed oil known as linseed oil comes from linseed, the ripe seeds of the common flax ( Linum usitatissimum). Fresh, cold-pressed linseed oil has a slightly distinctive taste, tastes slightly nutty and hay-like. It has a golden yellow color. Cold-pressed linseed oil is a good source of omega-3 fatty acids, but is sensitive to oxidation and can only be stored for a very short time. The ratio of linoleic acid (omega-6 fatty acid) to α-linolenic acid (omega-3 fatty acid) in linseed oil is approximately 1:3 - 1:4.

What do you have to pay attention to as a vegan?
You can find more information about the composition of this dish in the nutrient tables under the recipe preparation. Information on the optimal ratio of fatty acids and general information on common nutritional errors in vegan and raw diets can be found at the following link: Vegans often eat unhealthily. Avoidable nutritional errors .

Pre-cooked beans: White beans (like other beans and legumes) are usually dried or pre-cooked and preserved. While the preserved version is more convenient and saves time, the dried version has the advantage of tasting better. In addition, by cooking at home you can determine the degree of firmness yourself (canned beans are often very soft, sometimes even mushy). Of course, canned goods often contain unnecessary additives or are heavily salted, and the unprocessed version is therefore preferable. If you decide to buy ready-made beans, it is advisable to only buy organic canned goods. They are often processed more gently, but above all they contain fewer or no additives. Glass canned goods are particularly recommended, and are generally the most common in organic stores. These do not contain aluminum or BPA (bisphenol A) and are more environmentally friendly.

Nut allergy: If you have a nut allergy, you can omit the nuts and just use linseed oil for the salad.

Cooking white beans yourself: You should soak the beans well before cooking (preferably overnight) to reduce the phytic acid content. Phytic acid irreversibly binds minerals in the human body, so that they are no longer available to the organism. You can find out more about this in the following article:
Phytic acid or phytate and soaking or sprouting.
After soaking, rinse the beans well and cook with a little salt and just below boiling point.