Quinoa Salad – another SDH (Simple-Delicious-Healthy) recipe for quick lunch or lazy dinner.
I love “everything in the fridge” salads, and this Quinoa Salad recipe is just this type.
Ingridients for Quinoa Salad
- Quinoa is amazing for its neutral taste making it a great base for salads (as it can soak up dressing without becoming mushy). As a savory side, quinoa makes a lovely addition to grilled veggies, chicken, and fish.
- Chickpeas are a great source of plant protein as well as fiber, and calcium and they are low in fat. It takes quite a long time to cook chickpeas, but at the same time, your participation in the process is practically not required. Tip: I always cook beans in big batches and freeze them for later to have ready to go. Just take the required amount of beans, cover with boiling water for 2-3 minutes, drain and that’s it.
- Sweet Corn. I used canned. You can substitute for frozen one.
- Celery gives freshness and crunchiness to the salad. If you don’t like the taste of celery, add green onions instead.
- Tomatoes. I usually use cherry tomatoes in my salad recipes. Because they are sweet and juicy. You can use any tomatoes in this recipe, just make sure they are ripe.
- Feta Cheese adds saltiness to the salad. So, before you put salt to the salad, try it. You can substitute feta with any type of white cheese with crumble texture. Omit it if you are vegan. And add avocado instead.
- Cashew nuts add extra crunchiness to the salad as well as healthy fats. Substitute cashew with almonds or walnuts. Add sunflower seeds for nut-free version.
- Fresh Herbs. I always add different type of herbs to my salads (fresh or dry). Do not omit them, as they add extra flavor, aroma and color to the salad. You can use dill, cilantro, parsley, basil etc.
- Dressing. My favorite ones are tahini-based, yogurt dressing, or just extra virgin olive oil and vinegar.
Health benefits of quinoa
Plant protein from quinoa contains 8 of the 8 essential amino acids. Its composition is close to cow’s milk, therefore it is absorbed better than other plant analogs. Quinoa is considered an ideal source of protein for lactose-intolerant people, vegans, and vegetarians. Quinoa is also a good source of Folate, Iron, Magnesium, Potassium, and Zink. In addition to all of the above amazing properties, this plant, unlike wheat and other cereals, does not contain the dangerous gluten allergen. Which makes quinoa indispensable for celiac patients.
Cooking tips for Quinoa Salad
To use quinoa in a salad, you have to cook this grain perfectly. It doesn’t have to be mushy and watery. I cook quinoa like this.
To make 3 cups of cooked quinoa:
1. Place 1 cup of raw quinoa in a fine mesh colander and rinse for at least 30 seconds.
2. Mix 2 cups water and the rinsed quinoa in a saucepan and bring to a boil.
3. Decrease heat and simmer for 10-20 minutes, until all of the water has been absorbed.
4. Cover the pot, remove it from the heat, and let it steam for 5 more minutes.
More Salad Recipes:
Quinoa Salad with Spinach & Feta Cheese
Rice Salad with Cauliflower & Tahini-Orange Dressing
Black eye Bean Salad for Lunch
Beetroot Salad Recipe-Healthy & Delicious
Quinoa Salad with Chickpeas and Cashew
Ingredients
- 1 cup uncooked quinoa 180 g
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes 180 g
- 1 cup canned sweet corn 140 g
- 1 1/4 cup cooked chickpeas 220 g
- 1 stalk of celery 1/3 cup chopped
- 1 cup of fresh chopped parsley
- 1 ripe avocado
- 5 oz feta cheese or soft goat cheese (150 g)
- Juice from 1/2 lemon for quinoa
- 1/8 tsp garlic powder for quinoa
- 1/8 tsp onion powder for quinoa
- 4 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil use more to your taste
- Cashew nuts for garnish
- Salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cook the quinoa according to the package directions (check the blog post above for more information). Drain, add the juice from ½ lemon, garlic powder, onion powder, and season with salt & pepper.
- Meanwhile, cut the onion and celery, cut the cherry tomatoes in half. Finely chop parsley and cilantro. Crumble the white cheese. Mix the quinoa with chickpeas, onion, cherry tomatoes, sweetcorn, celery and white cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Add olive oil and lemon juice. Garnish with fresh herbs and cashew nuts. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- Replace fresh parsley with fresh dill or cilantro.
- Omit feta cheese if you are vegan. Add avocado instead. I do not recommend adding avocado to the whole bunch of salad as it loses its color and taste. Add directly to your plate.
- Add arugula or spinach for more greens.