Summer Quinoa Salad

Are you familiar with quinoa? Maybe a little? It sounds like “keen·waa” and I think it’s downright delicious! It can be prepared in a variety of ways, some of which I like more than others, but once I found the way I like it, I couldn’t get enough!! It’s cheap, it’s healthy, it’s very filling, and as I mentioned…delicious…hot or cold.

Quinoa packs a nutrient punch that includes protein, fiber, vitamins, and minerals! Plus it’s a complete protein source. Being a complete protein means it contains all nine essential amino acids which the human body cannot make on its own and they must be obtained through our diets. Essential amino acids are needed for maintaining proper health and growth. Pretty cool huh?! That’s rare for a plant-based protein. Add this superfood to your meal planning arsenal!

My favorite way to fix quinoa is a quinoa salad. I basically use a pasta salad recipe and substitute quinoa for the pasta. I’ll be honest, I rarely measure my ingredients when making my quinoa salad. I’ve made a lot of dishes with similar ingredients and have gotten in the habit of eyeballing it. Sometimes I’m only making it for myself and I make it less precise and add extra spice. Other times I’m making it for a gathering and try not to overdo the spice, onions, vinegar, or what have you. I’ve done my best to give you approximate quantities of each ingredient below, but as with many recipes, please adjust the recipe for your individual taste and preferences. Add a little of each ingredient at a time if you prefer. You might want to write down your adjustments in case you want to recreate your version precisely or want to adjust it next time. There are a lot of variations of quinoa salad, feel free to go off script here. This can be a great kitchen lesson for kids on how to customize, experiment, and demonstrate agency with their food. The recipe makes a good amount of quinoa, feel free to divide it into separate batches and make a few variations.

This cold quinoa salad could be a hit for your Fourth of July party! Feel free to share your version with us on Facebook and be sure to tag us!

Main Ingredients:

1 cup water

1 cup chicken broth

1 cup quinoa

1 half apple of choice (I really like honeycrisp for this salad)

1 half cucumber

1 half large onion ( I use a white onion)

1 bell pepper (any color will do, I’m fond of orange)

1 cup cubed cheese (my preference is pepper jack)

3 tablespoons honey mustard

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon vinegar

1/2 teaspoon salt

Ground black pepper and crushed red pepper to taste

Cook the Quinoa:

Many quinoa recipes suggest you rinse your quinoa, I never do. It has an earthier taste and is slightly more bitter if you don’t rinse. Feel free to rinse your quinoa but know that you don’t have to. Not only am I a lazy cook, I don’t like to waste water if I can help it.

Similar to grits and steel-cut oats, the secret to great quinoa is the liquid that you boil and cook it in. My favorite base for quinoa uses chicken broth.

Add quinoa to a large pot with water and chicken broth. Turn to high heat and bring to a boil.

Once boiling, reduce heat to low, and cover for 15 minutes.

After quinoa has simmered for 15 minutes, remove from heat and keep covered for another 10 minutes.

After letting set covered for 10 minutes, remove the lid and fluff with a fork.

Mix Salad:

Add chopped fruits, veggies, and cheese to quinoa in a large mixing bowl.

Top with honey mustard, oil, and vinegar and mix thoroughly.

Add spices and mix again.

Adjust to your preferences…does it need more cucumber or onion? A little more salt? Feel free to have fun and customize it to your liking.

Some people like adding lemon or lime juice, hot sauce, honey, garlic, cherry tomatoes, cilantro, almonds, walnuts, raisins, dried cranberries, beans, chickpeas, parsley, Mandarin oranges, avocado, or jalapeños for example. Go crazy!!

Leave the quinoa salad mixture in the fridge for a few hours or overnight to finishing chilling and allow the flavors to meld.

-Recipe from CTGO Operations Manager Robert