Spring Buckwheat Salad

This spring buckwheat salad is rich in plant-based protein and nutrients, and great as a quick lunch, light dinner or as a side. You can also easily make it ahead, making it the ultimate meal prep recipe.

5 Reasons Why You Should Make This Buckwheat Salad

You can have it ready in under 30 minutes.
It’s extra high in fibre – you can hit almost 50% of your daily requirements with just one serving.
Rich in plant-based protein, with 13 grams per serving.
A great source of iron, potassium, vitamins A and C.
Perfect for meal prep – you can easily cook buckwheat ahead and store it in the fridge for later use.

Ingredients You’ll Need to Make Buckwheat Salad

Rainbow carrots - this fun variety of carrots comes in different colours, such as purple, yellow and pale white. The taste is slightly different for each colour, but only when eaten raw. If you don’t have any rainbow carrots at hand, you can substitute them with regular carrots.

Red peppers - these are the sweetest variety of bell peppers, and also the most nutritious one, because they've been on the vine longest. You can replace them with yellow bell peppers in this recipe.

Red onion - very similar to yellow onion in flavour when cooked, and slightly milder when served raw. It’s the vibrant colour that makes it a great choice for this salad.

Olive oil, fresh orange juice, cumin seeds, ginger - for the marinade.

Buckwheat - cook it according to the package instructions, but do keep an eye on it throughout the process, as it can get too mushy really quickly. Check it after about 10 minutes and cook for longer if needed. If you’re using raw buckwheat (not roasted), I recommend roasting it yourself (see more details in the recipe below) for added flavour.

Fresh coriander and parsley - it’s essential to use fresh herbs for the flavour of this salad.

Baby rocket leaves - also known as arugula, roquette and rucola.

Roasted almonds - optional but highly recommended for topping the salad.

Red wine vinegar, olive oil and maple syrup - for the dressing.

How to Make This Spring Buckwheat Salad

Step One - Roast the Veggies

Drizzle the prepared vegetables with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and roast for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, whisk orange juice, cumin, ginger and maple syrup in a bowl. Drizzle over the veggies and roast for further 20 minutes, or until tender.

Step Two - Prepare the Buckwheat

Meanwhile, heat a non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Add buckwheat and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes or until toasted. Allow to cool for 5 minutes. You can skip this step if you’re using roasted buckwheat.

Next, bring a saucepan of water to the boil over high heat. Add buckwheat, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 5 minutes or until al dente. Drain and refresh under cold running water. Spread over a tray lined with paper towel to dry.

Step Three - Whisk the Dressing and Assemble

For the dressing, whisk vinegar, oil and maple syrup in a bowl. Add cooked buckwheat, herbs, rocket and roast veggies. Toss to combine.

How to Cook Buckwheat

When cooking buckwheat, it’s essential you don’t use too much liquid or overcook the groats. This results in very mushy buckwheat that can’t really be used in a salad.

Read package instructions carefully before starting to cook. Most would instruct you to use a 1 to 2 ratio of buckwheat and water.

How Long Should I Cook Buckwheat?

Again, it’s best to check the package instructions, as this can differ from brand to brand. My best advice would be to use slightly less water than recommended on the packet’s instructions, and start checking if the buckwheat has reached the desired consistency about 2-3 minutes before the recommended time is up.

Tips for Making This Buckwheat Salad

You can prepare the groats in advance and store them in an air-tight container in your fridge to save time.

I like using rainbow carrots for variety, but if you don’t have any at hand, regular carrots will work too.

Mixing both fresh coriander and parsley adds an extra flavour to this salad, so I recommend using both. If you only have one, though, you can simply double the quantity.

Don’t use dried herbs for this salad. The fresh parsley and coriander is what gives it its distinct flavour.