Summertime Quinoa Salad
A perfect summertime salad to pair with an entree for an easy dinner on those hot afternoons. The quinoa, veggies, and chickpeas, make this a healthy and delicious option. Best of all, it's easy to make ahead of time.
A perfect summertime salad to pair with an entree for an easy dinner on those hot afternoons. The quinoa, veggies, and chickpeas, make this a healthy and delicious option. Best of all, it's easy to make ahead of time.
- 3 cooked quinoa (See note below for an easy way to bake quinoa)
- 15 oz cans chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed (about 1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas)
- 1 cucumber, seeded and chopped
- 1 medium red bell pepper, chopped
- 3/4 cups red onion, chopped
- 1 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup lemon juice (from 2-3 lemons)
- 1 tablespoon rice or red wine vinegar
- 2 garlic, pressed or minced
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
Cook the quinoa ahead of time following the package instructions and allow to cool.
- In a large serving bowl, combine the chickpeas, cucumber, bell pepper, onion and parsley. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, lemon juice, vinegar, garlic and salt. Whisk until blended, then set aside.
Add the prepared quinoa to the serving bowl, and drizzle the dressing on top. Toss until the mixture is thoroughly combined. Season with black pepper, to taste, and add an extra pinch of salt if necessary. Let the salad rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving or refrigerate to serve later.
- This salad keeps well in the refrigerator, covered, for about 4 days. Serve chilled
Preparing quinoa:
If you're tired of clumpy quinoa or rice sticking to your pots and pans, try this foolproof method to bake it. Even though it takes more time, it has become our preferred method of cooking quinoa.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Heat 2 cups water in the microwave for 2 minutes. Add 1 cup quinoa to an 8 x 8 baking dish. (9 x 9 will work as well). Pour hot water over the grain. Cover the baking dish tightly with foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove the baking dish from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes. Carefully remove the foil and fluff the quinoa with a fork about every 5-10 minutes until it is cool and fluffy.
This recipe makes 3 cups of quinoa, which can be used in the quinoa salad recipe. If you like this method, you can cut the amount of quinoa (or rice) and water. Adjust the size of your baking dish and cooking time based on how much quinoa you're preparing.