Quinoa Veggie Salad
Quinoa Veggie Salad exceeds expectations for a cool yet hearty side on hot summer evenings. I’ve been making a variety of sides lately that can be served cold and hold well to reduce the amount of time in the kitchen. This salad is easy to throw together, holds well, and it’s delicious. It’s great as written but it can easily become a full entrée with the addition of some fresh greens and beans to keep it vegetarian or top with some leftover chicken or steak. Many recipes call for chickpeas which I don’t prefer, but this would be great with cannellini or black beans. Quinoa Veggie Salad is a great building block for any number of variations. It works well with most flavor profiles as well. I’ve served it with chicken casserole, steak, and sandwiches.
I’m a little late to the Quinoa bandwagon. My first few experiments with it were a little disappointing but mostly due to under seasoning. This recipe takes care of that! The addition of veggies and a light but flavorful vinaigrette provided the flavor and crunch that the mild grain needed. I like quite a bit of dressing, but if you’re storing the leftovers it’s a good idea to drain any dressing that’s pooled in the bottom.
Another great option to save some time in the kitchen is to make twice the amount of quinoa, serve half as a warm side and make the salad out of the other half. Chill the leftovers and put your salad together later in the week. Or, double the recipe and portion it out for lunches during the week!
Quinoa Veggie Salad
Ingredients
- ½ cup quinoa, uncooked rinsed and drained in a fine-mesh strainer
- 1 cup water
- ½ med cucumber, seeded and chopped
- ½ med red bell pepper, chopped
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- ½ sm red onion, chopped
- ½ cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped
Dressing
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1 cloves garlic, finely minced or pressed
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Combine the rinsed quinoa and the water in a medium saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat then reduce heat to medium to maintain a simmer. Cook approximately 15 minutes until the quinoa has absorbed all of the water. Remove from heat, cover and let rest for 5 minutes.
- Prepare vegetables and combine in a large serving bowl. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, combine the dressing ingredients. Whisk until blended and set aside.
- When the quinoa has cooled, add to the serving bowl with vegetables, toss to combine and drizzle dressing over the mixture. Start with half and taste, adding more as needed. Add salt and pepper if needed. Let rest 5-10 minutes. Serve at room temperature or chilled.
