Herbed Quinoa Salad Recipe
Recipe Description:
Okay, so this is one of my FAVORITE salads. The recipe is courtesy of my sister Cecily. It is loaded with delicious fresh herbs and veggies... add feta or goat cheese to make it even yummier! You can choose to skip the homemade dressing if you like and use a good quality organic balsamic vinegarette, but I highly recommend making your own.
Recipe
Instructions:
Soak overnight in water and 1-2 tablespoons of lemon juice, vinegar, whey or other acidic compound and rinse quinoa VERY WELL in the morning. Run under water in strainer for several minutes, and make sure water runs clear before putting into pot to cook. Although quinoa is very healthy, it contains a natural outer coating which can be upsetting to the stomach. I often use about half or two-thirds regular quinoa, and about one half to one-third RED quinoa. They have the same basic flavor, but it makes the salad prettier.
In a saucepan, combine the quinoa, water, and salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook for 20 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit for 10 minutes. Fluff with a for and place in a large bowl and let it cool COMPLETELY (I usually make the quinoa a day ahead of time & refrigerate). Another trick is to add just a small splash of olive oil at boiling time- it helps the quinoa to fluff easier when cooled.
Add the parsley, cilantro, mint, tomatoes, scallions, pepper, carrots, and cucumber.
Pour the dressing over and mix well. Cover and chill about an hour before serving.
Basil Vinaigrette
In a blender combine all ingredients. Process for at least 1 minute. Store in a tightly
covered container in the refrigerator if not using right away.
I often use a combination of Orange Muscat Champagne Vinegar (from Trader Joe's) with either the cider vinegar or lemon juice. Go with your own personal preferences.
**You can also add optional feta cheese or pine nuts/pistachioʼs too.
***The herb portions can vary according to how much you like that particular flavor. My cooking generally tends to be spice & herb heavy.
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