Easy Quinoa Salad Recipe

Delicious gluten free vegan summer salad recipe

Quinoa Salad recipe: Easy gluten free summer salad recipe with cooked quinoa, lightly steamed veggies, cucumber, fresh herbs, toasted nuts or seeds, oil & lemon dressing.

Enjoy this easy quinoa salad recipe any time, as a delicious way to get enough protein in your veg diet.

This salad recipe is similar to tabouleh, only more substantial, as quinoa is a whole grain, while couscous is made with white flour.

Total Prep & Cook Time: 30 min

4 Main Dish Servings

Nutrition Data Per 228 g Serving: 350 cal, 19g fat, 37g carb, 316mg sodium, 7g fiber, 10g protein, low Cholesterol, good source Vit C, A, K & Manganese. Est. Glycemic Load 18

Ingredients:

• 1 cup quinoa
• 1 1/2 cups cold water
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 cup snow peas, shell peas, celery, or green beans
• 2 small carrots, peeled and sliced thin
• 1/2 green or red pepper, sliced thin
• 1 medium ripe tomato

• 1 medium cucumber, peeled and diced
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley, cilantro, or basil
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts, toasted sunflower seeds or toasted cashews

Dressing:

• 2 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/4 tsp salt
• Fresh ground pepper
• Options: Pinch of cayenne, garlic powder or fresh minced garlic, minced fresh or dried ginger

Directions:

1. Quinoa can be made ahead of time and refrigerated
2. Soak the quinoa 5 minutes in cold water
3. Rinse thoroughly 2 times, pour off the water and drain through a large fine mesh strainer
4. Place in 2 qt pot with the water and salt
5. Cover the pot, bring to a full boil, turn the heat to low, and cook for 15 minutes
6. Remove from heat and set aside to cool
7. Steam the carrots and green veg for 5 minutes or until tender-crisp, drain, rinse in cold water and drain again
8. Chop the tomatoes, herb and cucumber
9. Blend dressing ingredients with a whisk or shake in a jar
10. Gently combine veggies, walnuts, quinoa and dressing in a large bowl
11. Cover and chill, or serve immediately

Recipe Tips:

Cook the quinoa ahead, keep in the fridge, and you can make this easy quinoa salad recipe in about 20 minutes.

Quinoa may also be cooked in a rice cooker, the same as you'd cook rice, or in a pressure cooker, 6 minutes high pressure, natural pressure release.

Optional Additions: Chopped scallions, dried unsweetened cranberries, raisins or apricots, Greek olives, minced jalapeno pepper, fresh mint, feta cheese, baked tofu cubes

Walnuts go well with quinoa, but toasted sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds are also good. If you like black beans, try our tasty quinoa black bean salad.

Serve with a green power salad for a quick summer meal.

Helpful Quinoa Hints:

• Quinoa has high oil content, so should be stored in the fridge or freezer to avoid becoming rancid
• A tight fitting lid is essential for even quinoa cooking
• Raw quinoa is coated with saponin, which will give it a bitter taste unless it has been removed in processing. Just in case, soak it for 5 minutes and rinse a couple of times. Those tiny flaky bits in the rinse water are the saponin
• When quinoa is full cooked, little white spiral "tails" will appear with the grains. That's normal.
• Because of its high protein content, quinoa is a satisfying meal with a few nuts and veggies added (see recipes below).

More Quinoa Info and Tips

Recipe Comments:

This is my absolute FAVORITE recipe. I make a double batch on a weekly basis, for my lunch at work. Everyone who tastes it asks for the recipe. I do use chicken broth to cook the quinoa, cut up a bunch of veggies. My favorites are snow peas, mixed sweet peppers, onions, and carrots.

The last time I made it I cut up sun-dried tomatoes, and I've also used fresh, tender green beans. I don't blanch the veggies, just pour the cooked quinoa over them, which keeps them nice and crunchy. When I use the beans, I put them in with the quinoa for the last couple minutes. - Greta L.

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