Monday, July 30, 2012

Easy Quinoa Salad

**Edit** -- Got an email yesterday from Brian saying his lunch was really good, but the salad was particularly tasty. Yes, this salad! Try it!

This salad is as basic as it comes -- quinoa, veggies, simple dressing -- and is open to infinite variation. It's quite tasty! The original version comes from the Savvy Vegetarian site and I've made only a few modifications.


For one thing, I like my veggies cut in finer pieces. I sliced the carrot in fourths lengthwise almost to the top, then cut thin pieces off.


I love the look of snap peas cut on the diagonal. Crisp and crunchy, they add wonderful texture to the salad.

By the way, I omitted the nuts because I tend to have a few for a snack and didn't want to overdo it, but I bet they'd be great in the salad.



Simple Quinoa Salad


1 cup quinoa
1-1/2 cups cold water
1/4 tsp salt
1 to 1-1/2 cups mixed raw or nuked veggies (snow peas, celery, green beans, corn)
2 small carrots, peeled, sliced in thin rounds (or half or quarter rounds)
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 medium cucumber, chopped (seed or peel if necessary)
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley, cilantro, or basil (if using basil, add tomatoes to salad)
1/2 cup chopped nuts or seeds (optional)

Dressing
2 Tbs lemon juice
2 Tbs olive oil
1/4 tsp salt
freshly ground pepper
optional: a little other herb or spice (garlic, cumin, ginger, thyme, etc.)

1.     Prepare quinoa by rinsing thoroughly in cold water, draining well, then bringing to a boil with the cold water and salt. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 15 min. Cool to at least lukewarm.
2.     Combine quinoa with veggies and optional nuts or seeds in a large bowl.
3.     Whisk dressing ingredients together and pour over salad. Mix well. Enjoy!

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