Simple Delicious Quinoa Salad Recipe

Easy, gluten free, quinoa summer salad recipe

This simple quinoa salad recipe is one of our easiest main dish salads - and a perfect summer salad recipe.

This easy healthy quinoa recipe is a delicious way to get enough protein in your vegetarian or vegan diet.

Quinoa is also gluten free, and scores far higher nutritionally than wheat in just about everything except complex carbohydrates. Unlike wheat or rice, quinoa is a good source of lysine.

Cooking Tips: Cook the quinoa ahead, keep in the fridge, and you can make this easy quinoa salad recipe in about 20 minutes. Walnuts go well with quinoa, but toasted sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds are also good. If you'd rather use beans, try our tasty quinoa black bean salad

4 Main Dish Servings Quinoa Salad: Serve with a green power salad for a quick summer meal

Printable Recipe: Click the printer icon on your browser - you'll get just the recipe

Quinoa Salad Ingredients:

• 1 cup quinoa
• 1 1/2 cups cold water
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup snow peas, shell peas, celery, or green beans
• 1 - 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
• Options: Chopped scallions, dried unsweetened cranberries, raisins or apricots, Greek olives, minced jalapeno pepper, fresh mint

Dressing:

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

Quinoa Salad Directions

1. The quinoa can be made ahead of time and refrigerated if you like
2. Soak the quinoa 15 minutes in cold water
3. Rinse thoroughly, pour off most of the water and drain through a large fine mesh strainer
4. Place in 2 qt pot with the water, salt and oil
5. Bring to a full boil
6. Cover the pot, let boil another minute, turn the heat down to very low, and cook for 15 minutes
7. Remove from heat and allow to sit five minutes with lid on
8. Fluff gently with a fork and set aside to cool. Setting the pan in a sink full of cold water cools the quinoa quickly
9. Steam the carrots and green veg for 5 minutes or until tender-crisp, drain, rinse in cold water and drain again
10. Chop the tomatoes, herb and cucumber
11. Blend dressing ingredients with a whisk or shake in a jar
12. Gently combine veggies, walnuts, quinoa and dressing in a large bowl
13. Cover and chill

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
• Quinoa is coated with saponin, which will give it a bitter taste unless you rinse it a couple of times. Those tiny flaky bits in the rinse water are the saponin
• Because of its high protein content, quinoa is a satisfying meal with a few nuts and veggies added (see recipes below)

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More Delicious Vegetarian Main Dish Salad Recipes:

Quinoa Black Bean Salad Quinoa Lentil Salad Mango Quinoa Salad Mediterranean Rice Salad Tabouleh Middle Eastern Salad Tasty Pasta Salad

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