This gorgeous millet salad is packed with fiber and plant protein for a healthy gluten free grain salad that you can eat as a side, a vegan meal, or topped with chicken, salmon, or shrimp for dinner.
We love this millet salad recipe! It’s a new grain salad for my collection, and it happens to be gluten free. I use beets, rainbow carrots, skinny asparagus, cherry tomatoes and baby arugula for a fresh spring theme.
gluten free millet is a ‘super grain’
Millet is one of those ancient grains that suddenly feels very modern, I can remember cooking with it in the 70s and 80s and now it’s back. It’s a whole grain that’s naturally gluten-free, packed with nutrients, and has a mild, nutty flavor that works beautifully in everything from warm bowls to bright spring salads. If you haven’t cooked with millet before, think of it as a lighter, fluffier cousin to quinoa ~ easy, versatile, and really delicious.
- High in fiber
- Good source of plant protein
- Rich in antioxidants and minerals
- Low glycemic index (helping support stable blood sugar)
- Very sustainable crop ~ drought tolerant and grows in poor soils
How to cook millet for salad
It’s just like cooking couscous or rice
- Bring millet and water to a boil.
- Lower the heat and simmer, covered, for 15 minutes.
- Fluff with a fork. Cooked millet looks like couscous, but with a slightly chewier texture.
- Once cooked you can spread the millet out on a sheet pan so it cools faster and stays fluffier for the best texture for millet salad.
So what does millet taste like?
Millet has a nutty/neutral flavor like couscous, pasta, or rice, which makes it perfect for absorbing whatever flavors you love. I love the way it soaks in the flavors of the olive oil, lemon and coriander dressing.
Millet salad bottom line
I love it when I can change someone’s mind about food. My husband, who has never had millet and has always made a big point of avoiding beets, couldn’t stop raving about this salad. He loved the mint, the hint of coriander, the millet and, yes, even the beets. Tip: try out golden beets your beet haters, they’re sweeter and less ‘earthy’ than red beets.
We’ve already made plans to top our millet salad with salmon for dinner.
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Millet Salad
Ingredients
millet salad
- 1 cup dried millet
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- pinch saffron
- 1/2 lb thin asparagus, trimmed
- 2 medium golden beets, cooked and peeled
- 3 rainbow carrots, peeled and sliced
- 25 cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
- 1/4 red onion, cut into thin slivers
- 2 Tbsp fresh mint leaves, very thinly sliced
dressing
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 3 Tbsp lemon juice, or more to taste
- 1 tsp coriander
- sea salt, to taste
Instructions
- Put the 1 cup dried millet, 1/2 tsp sea salt, and pinch saffron in a saucpan with 2 cups water and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer, cover, and cook for about 15 minutes the water is absorbed. Fluff with a fork. If you'd like to cool the millet quickly you can spread it out on a sheet pan.
- While the millet cooks prep your veggies.
- Place the trimmed asparagus on a plate and splash with water. Microwave on high for 60-90 seconds. Remove, let cool briefly, and slice into 2 inch pieces. This just tenderizes the asparagus and brings out its flavor.
- Slice the cooked beets into bite sized pieces.
- Put the millet in a large salad bowl and toss with some of the dressing and season with salt. Add all of the veggies and the fresh mint and give it a good toss with more of the dressing, to taste.
- Your millet salad can be served right away, or refrigerated for later. If you do plan to serve later you might consider adding the cherry tomatoes just before serving, as they don't hold up well in the refrigerator.
dressing
- Whisk together the 1/3 cup olive oil, 3 Tbsp lemon juice, and 1 tsp coriander. Taste and add sea salt and adjust the acidity level to your liking.
Notes
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