Name: Quinoa and Nectarine Slaw
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 6 min
Total time: 16 min
Ingredients: 1 cup cooked quinoa (at room temp); 2 nectarines (cut into 1/2 inch wedges); 1/2 cup shredded white cabbage; 1/2 cup curly kale; 1/3 cup thinly sliced scallions; 1/3 cup Roasted Pumpkin Seeds ((see recipe below)); 3 tablespoons Lemon Vinaigrette ((see recipe below)); 1/2 cup feta cheese (optional); 1 cup unsalted pumpkin seeds (pepitas); 1 teaspoon olive oil; 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt; pinch cayenne pepper; pinch smoked paprika; 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice; 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard; 1/2 - 1 teaspoon kosher salt; 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper; 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

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This Quinoa and Nectarine Slaw from Susan Pridmore’s Simply Vegetarian Cookbook exemplifies the elegant simplicity of the recipes you’ll find throughout the pages of this well thought-out vegetarian cooking companion.

The Wimpy Vegetarian Meets OMG! Yummy

I first met Susan online via social media, eventually meeting in person at a food conference in Santa Clara, California. Somehow I knew that someone who titles her blog The Wimpy Vegetarian would become a fast friend of mine. Her whole approach to cooking and eating resonates with me. Keep it simple, cook often, eat lots of veggies, and don’t forget the carnivores in your life.

Vegetarian + Carnivore = Flexitarian

Susan is a mostly vegetarian who lives with a carnivore husband but they have found a middle ground at the dinner table. And you’ll find this “flexitarian” approach throughout The Simply Vegetarian Cookbook as she offers simple-to-prepare vegetarian meals that frequently offer both a vegan and carnivore option as well.

Why I Love this Quinoa Nectarine Salad

It’s stone fruit season! I live near Andy’s Orchard where they sell some of the best stone fruit I personally have ever tasted.
This Quinoa and Nectarine Salad is so easy to prepare (as she promises in the book). There are elements you can prepare ahead – the dressing, the quinoa and the pumpkin seeds – so when dinner rolls around, the actual slaw comes together quickly.
You can take shortcuts – I bought a bag of pre-sliced cabbage – it’s inexpensive and saved me some chopping time.
This recipe is flexible. While I followed the recipe for this particular post, I can see changing up elements to match your taste buds or the ingredients you have on hand. No quinoa? Try another grain or pulse – bulgur, barley, lentils, or couscous – for example. Use different greens – maybe it will become less of a slaw and more of a salad, but the concept remains the same. No pumpkin seeds? Try another toasted nut – pine nuts for example. And when stone fruit season is over, try apples. No feta on hand – try a different cheese or leave the cheese off. And of course a different dressing – even a light creamy one could be delicious!
This would be a great salad to take to a pot luck or put out on your own party buffet.

But if you can, make this lovely slaw with the nectarines and toasted pepitas just as Susan instructs — the earthy pumpkin seeds with the sweet, juicy nectarines will wow your tastebuds. No nectarines? Use peaches — as Susan says, “nectarines are just peaches without the fuzz”.

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