Toasted Quinoa Salad
I brought my Toasted Quinoa Salad to a graduation celebration, and it was a hit!
Equipment
- 2 saucepots 1 with a tight-fitting glass lid
- 1 mixing bowl Large
- 1 mesh sieve
- 1 whisk
- 1 serving bowl
Ingredients
Ingredients for Cooking the Quinoa:
- 1 1/2 cups uncooked quinoa Rinsed and drained (this yields 4 1/2 cups of cooked quinoa
- 3 cups HOT water (substitute HOT vegetable or chicken broth, unsalted)
- 1 tbsp kosher salt
Ingredients for the Toasted Quinoa Salad:
- 4 1/2 cups cooked quinoa
- 1/2 red onion Small dice
- 1 red bell pepper Seeded and diced
- 1 orange bell pepper Seeded and diced (substitute yellow bell pepper)
- 2 cups Feta cheese 1-inch dice
- 1 1/2 pints grape tomatoes Halved
- 2 cup Hothouse cucumber (English cucumber) Diced
- 1/4 cup fresh basil Chiffonade-style
- 2 tbsps Italian flat-leaf parsley Finely chopped (dried 1 tablespoon)
- 1 whole lemon Zested and juiced
- 1 1/2 tsps kosher salt
- 1 tsp black pepper Freshly-ground
- *E.V.O.O.
Instructions
- Instructions for Toasting, Cooking, and Making the Quinoa Salad:Start by rinsing the quinoa in a fine-mesh sieve. If you've never made quinoa, it's really easy. First, you want to do a quick rinse of the quinoa to remove the *saponin. Place quinoa in a fine-mesh sieve and rinse under cold water for a few seconds.In a large heavy-bottom pot over medium-low heat, add (or leave) some of the water so that the quinoa remains moist. Add the quinoa to the heated pot. Make sure not to overcrowd. Using a whisk, quickly stir the quinoa, allowing any excess water to be absorbed by the quinoa.Once the water is completely absorbed and the quinoa begins to pop, you'll know it's drying out. Continue stirring until the quinoa grains begin to toast. The aroma will start to smell nutty in around 5 minutes.In another saucepot, bring the 3 cups of salted water to a boil. Pour the hot water into the pot containing the quinoa. Give the quinoa a good stir, and cover (with the glass lid). With the heat still on medium-low, simmer until all the water is absorbed, 15-20 minutes. Set aside off the heat for 5 minutes, uncover, and fluff with a fork. Allow the quinoa to cool completely.While the quinoa is cooking (during the 15-20 minutes), dice the vegetables and the feta. Zest and juice a lemon. Transfer all the ingredients into a large mixing bowl. Add in the cooled cooked toasted quinoa, and season with salt and pepper. Finish by adding in the chopped basil and parsley and tossing. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.Before serving, add a drizzle of really good *E.V.O.O. over the top.There you have it, my Toasted Quinoa Salad.
Notes
1) *E.V.O.O. is an acronym for Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
2) *Saponin is the outer coating of the quinoa, and it can have a bitter taste. It's a good idea to rinse the quinoa before cooking.
3) Linda Lou Hamel is not a nutritionist or dietitian, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and nutritional value are important to you, I recommend running the ingredients through the online nutritional calculator of your choice. Calories and values can vary depending on the brands you choose.