Toasted Quinoa Salad
Nothing quite says summer like a salad you can add to the family BBQ potluck table, and this is right where this salad belongs! And yet it also belongs on your own kitchen table for an easy and refreshing side dish. It basically compliments whatever you’ve got cookin’. What really sets this salad apart is the flavor of the toasted quinoa. Thats the secret. That mild nutty-ness that gets released after toasting the grains is what really brings it home. This party-in-a-bowl is very simple and can even be made ahead.
You can use literally any kind of quinoa your heart desires. Get crazy with it. Even mix different types. I love using colorful quinoa too. Start by adding it dry to a medium saucepan over medium heat. As the grains start to heat, they will start to pop! Kind of like popcorn! As you start hearing the popping, keep stirring regularly to prevent any burning. You can see with the white quinoa, the color started to change slightly and become more of a golden brown. Once the grains are nice and toasty, add the water and turn up the heat. Bring this to a boil and reduce heat to a simmer. At this point, I usually cover my quinoa to let it finish cooking, but I know other people like to let it cook uncovered. Either method works, just might change the cook time. Covering tends to cook a bit faster, so just watch for that. This salad is best served cold, so once your quinoa is well cooked through, add to a bowl and stick it in the refrigerator. Pro tip: place a metal bowl in your freezer or refrigerator in advance to help cool faster and more evenly. While that is cooling, prep your veggies and dressing.
What’s really fun about this salad is that you can really just make it your own. Add whatever veggies you like! Scrap whatever you don’t! Add all the feta or none. The original recipe calls for red pepper, but I didn’t have one when I made this last (and took the pictures lol), so I just left it out. No biggie. Do whatever floats your boat. Maybe throw in some freshly chopped basil or parsley leaves (ok yum). You can even add more or less of something. We don’t love raw onion in my house, so I do much less red onion and dice it up teeny tiny. So, play around with it and just have fun. Pro tip: I learned from a chef a while back to de-seed cucumbers and tomatoes. This helps to control the moisture and texture in your dish while still getting all the yummy flavors.
The dressing is also crazy easy. Simply combine equal parts olive oil and lemon juice with about a tablespoon of red wine vinegar. Add some minced or pressed garlic and a sprinkle of salt to taste. Wisk well and voila! I also use this dressing for leafy green salads too. Very easy and versatile. It’s what brings that fresh tasting flavor that compliments the nutty quinoa so well.
Finally, once your quinoa is cooled, add it to your veggie mixture. Pour the dressing over top and toss well to combine. You can see here I forgot to add my feta (oops) but it’s delicious with or without it. You really can’t go wrong.
Serve immediately or let it marinate for a few minutes to allow the grains to soak up the dressing. The leftovers are just as tasty too so make sure to save some for later.
Enjoy!
