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Easy Vegan Recipe: Simple Delicious Quinoa Salad
This gluten free quinoa salad recipe makes a perfect summer meal
Simple Quinoa Salad is similar to Tabouleh, only more substantial. It's easy to make, and keep in the fridge until it's time to eat. Walnuts go well with quinoa, but toasted sunflower seeds or cashews would also be good.
This easy healthy quinoa recipe makes a great vegan main dish because quinoa is so nourishing - a good source of complete protein, vitamins and minerals.
Quinoa is 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. More Quinoa Info and Tips
4 Main Dish Servings Quinoa Salad
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
- The quinoa can be made ahead of time and refrigerated if you like
- Soak the quinoa 15 minutes in cold water
- Rinse thoroughly, pour off most of the water and drain through a large fine mesh strainer
- Place in 2 qt pot with the water, salt and oil
- Bring to a boil
- Turn the heat down to very low, cover and cook for 15 minutes
- Remove from heat and allow to sit five minutes with lid on
- Fluff gently with a fork and set aside to cool. Setting the pan in a sink full of cold water cools quickly
- Steam the carrots and green veg for 5 minutes, rinse in cold water
- Chop the tomatoes, herb and cucumber
- Blend dressing ingredients with a whisk or shake in a jar
- Gently combine veggies, walnuts, quinoa and dressing in a large bowl
- 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)
