Quinoa salad

TropicalKitty · July 2011

Hi all! Thought I'd share something I whipped up tonight.

Quinoa Salad

1 1/2c rinsed quinoa
3c low sodium chicken broth (or veggie broth for vegan/vegetarian style)
1/2 medium cucumber, de-seeded and diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 ear of corn, blanched/boiled, kernels cut from cob
1/2 medium onion, thin sliced & diced - can sub a shallot (actually I wanted a shallot but didnt have one)
minced cilantro
2T olive oil
juice 1 lime

1. Bring broth to boil. Add quinoa and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook for ~10 - 15mins. Fluff with fork
2. Refridgerate quinoa - I spread it on a plate to cool it quicker
3. When quinoa is cool enough, add in veggies
4. Toss veggies throughout, add olive oil, lime juice and cilantro
5. Put back in fridge for about 30mins - 1hr to let flavors meld.
6. Nom!

Veggie prep "tips"
Cucumber - I sliced the cuke lengthwise, then used a spoon to deseed. I used a "regular" cuke, but I'm sure an english cuke would work great as well. Peeling is also an option, if you prefer it that way (personally I don't mind the skin and like the color)
Corn - I used fresh corn from our CSA. I just brought some natural salt (enough to enhance flavor) and water to a boil. Put the shucked ear of corn in the boiling H2O for about 7mins (9mins for a large ear). Frozen corn should work just as well.
Bell Pepper - just something to help those who may not have used them before, I will either cut around the stem near the bend in the pepper to have an easy removal of the seedy heart or I'll just cut into the side of the pepper and cut like I'm unrolling the pepper.

You can totally adjust the amount of veggies as you like, more would definitely stretch it. I would consider adding a few cracks of fresh black pepper if you want to add a lil hint of spice. I don't know why I didn't think of it earlier!

Some possible additions: tomatoes, zucchini, broccoli

Enjoy!

Oh! And I'd say this easily was about 6 - 8 servings for a hearty side dish.