I hear it’s going to reach 34 degrees here on Sunday! Summer is coming! I think a trip to Manly for some Ben & Jerry’s is in order (triple caramel chunk just in case you were wondering what my flavour is). But thankfully warmer weather also means salads for me. I’m more than happy to have a big healthy salad for dinner when the weather is warm. I tend to be more of a throw it all together in a big bowl person rather than follow a salad recipe person. I think you’ll like this one if you haven’t really gotten into quinoa yet.
my quinoa salad
Quick, easy, tasty, healthy, gluten free, vegan, dairy free – what more do you want from a salad! We are huge quinoa fans here and this our favourite!
Recipe type: Dinners
What you'll need
- 1 cup quinoa
- 2 cups boiling water
- tsp of vegetable stock powder
- 1 avocado
- 1 cucumber
- 1 punnet cherry tomatoes
- 1 lemon
- 1 can of beans or lentils (butter, cannellini, chickpeas, green or brown lentils)
- olive oil
- handful flat leaf parsley
Instructions
- Instructions
- Place quinoa, vegetable stock and boiling water in small saucepan and bring to the boil them simmer.
- Quinoa will be cooked when all the water is absorbed and it takes about 15-20 minutes. Spread out over 2 plates/a large tray to cool then tip into a large salad bowl.
- Roughly chop avocado, peeled cucumber, cherry tomatoes and add to the quinoa. Add in a can of drained beans, lemon juice, chopped parsley, a good glug or two of olive oil then season with salt and pepper.
- Now I like this just as it is but retro daddy loves it with a dash of sweet chilli sauce or chilli and lime dressing. You can use your own favourite dressing it in if you prefer.
Looks really yummy and healthy. Will your kids eat that? There is no way I could get mine to even think about it – the tantrums.
dxx
I’m always looking for tasty salad recipes Corrie, as I struggle to enjoy most salads… unless they are shop bought ones :o/ This one looks really yummy, thanks!
Manly is beautiful, I took the boys there on a little field trip across on the ferry on Wed and we all had a ball… we may have even had some Copenhagen icecream too!
Have a lovely warm weekend Corrie xo
This looks great! Will have to buy some quinoa. Can I buy in the supermarket and in what isle? Have never tried it before (as she probably can tell!!)
Yum!!! I am on a bit of a quinoa kick lately as well. Tonight I served acorn squash stuffed with quinoa and roasted veggies. It was so good! I will try your salad and I know I will love it. Thanks!
Ok I’m going to do a blonde moment and ask what’s quinola?? Looks lovely by the way “
Barb.
I feel A great change is coming to our favorite couscous salad ! We make almost the same salad with couscous but quinoa is a super grain and so healthy! We add chopped fresh coriander and parsley and a marinated feta with some olive oil. Yum!! By we, I mean my 14 year old and I… She loves making salads. Will pass this recipe to her.
Inspiring – thanks!
I had broccolini with toasted flaked almonds and lemon juice for lunch – delicious, and filling! Roll on summer.
It’s important to rinse the quinoa to get rid of the saponins.
Wikipedia says:
“Most boxed/pre-packaged quinoa has already been pre-rinsed for convenience, and cooking instructions therefore suggest only a brief rinse before cooking, if at all. If quinoa has not been pre-rinsed, the first step is to remove the saponins, a process that requires either soaking the grain in water for a few hours, then changing the water and resoaking, or rinsing the quinoa in ample running water for several minutes in either a fine strainer or a cheesecloth. Removal of the saponin helps with digestion; the soapy nature of the compound makes it act as a laxative.”
I love cooking and love salads and yet, have never tried quinoa. Don’t know what’s stopping me, and now I have no excuse! This salad looks great – thanks for sharing!