Healthy Quinoa Salad

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Healthy Quinoa Salad Recipe {via Simply Happenstance} #wheatfree #quinoa #salad.jpg

 :: Healthy Quinoa Salad ::

I’m sure by now, most of you have tried quinoa {pronounced KEEN-wah}. This superfood {which was discovered by the Incas, three to four thousand years ago} is one of my personal favorites! Although it is usually thought of as a whole grain, it is actually a seed. It takes less time to cook than whole grains, and tastes amazing on its own! It is a wheat-free, gluten-free, and cholesterol-free food, making it the perfect side dish or main course for vegetarians, vegans, and others with special dietary concerns. Here are some interesting healthy facts about quinoa:

  • It is a complete protein, containing all nine essential amino acids.
  • It contains almost twice as much fiber as most other grains. Fiber helps prevent heart disease by reducing high blood pressure and diabetes. It also lowers cholesterol and glucose levels. 
  • Quinoa contains lysine, which is essential to tissue growth and repair.
  • It is rich in magnesium, which helps to relax blood vessels and alleviate migraines. Additionally magnesium helps detoxify the body, provides energy, and helps with the formation of healthy bones and teeth. 
  • The gluten-free super seed is a good source of riboflavin {B2}, which is known to improve energy metabolism within the brain and muscle cells. 
  • Quinoa is rich in manganese {an antioxidant}. Manganese helps prevent damage of mitochondria during energy production and protects red blood cells from injury by free radicals.

Not only is quinoa nutritious, but easy to prepare, as well! It is one of those amazing foods in which you can cook a big batch at the start of your busy week… and then use it all week long in various healthy recipes. Lately, I have been making a large amount, storing it in a sealed glass container in my refrigerator. I use it all week, topping my healthy green salads with heaping spoonfuls of the superfood. I also have been making a basic quinoa dish {with added garlic, green onions, and vinegar} to use as a base for colorful quinoa salads {as seen in these photos}. It is so healthy, flavorful, and filling! I love eating it chilled for lunch… mixing in chopped raw vegetables, a few squeezes of fresh lemon juice, and a sprinkling of crumbled feta! It’s incredibly delicious!

Healthy Quinoa Salad {via Simply Happenstance Blog} #healthy #wheatfree #quinoa #salad.jpg

Print Recipe

Healthy Quinoa Salad

Ingredients

  • Basic Quinoa Ingredients:
  • 1 cup quinoa
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 clove garlic crushed but intact
  • 4 scallions diced
  • 2 tablespoons vinegar
  • salt
  • extra virgin olive oil
  • Quinoa Salad Ingredients:
  • 1 cup cucumber diced
  • 1 cup red orange and/or yellow pepper, diced
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes quartered
  • 1/4 cup cilantro finely chopped
  • 1/4 cup parsley finely chopped
  • 1 cup feta crumbled
  • 1/2 cup pine nuts toasted
  • Dressing:
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/4-1/3 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  • For the Basic Quinoa:
  • Rinse quinoa well using a fine mesh stainer.
  • Put the quinoa into a heavy saucepan with twice its volume of water, along with a crushed, but intact, clove of garlic, and a pinch of salt. Stir.
  • Bring to a boil; then, reduce to a simmer and let it cook for approximately 15 minutes, or until all the water is absorbed {and the little white rings on the quinoa have popped up}.
  • While the quinoa is still hot, take out the garlic clove, and immediately stir in the scallions. {You can also finely chop the cooked garlic and throw it back in, if desired.} Add approximately 2 tablespoons of vinegar and fluff the quinoa with a fork. Taste it, and add more salt and/or vinegar, if necessary.
  • Let the quinoa sit, covered, until cool and then drizzle some extra virgin olive oil and a few grindings of black pepper over the quinoa. {This keeps for about four days in the refrigerator.}
  • For the Quinoa Salad:
  • Combine all ingredients {chopped vegetables, fresh herbs, and *toasted pine nuts}. Whisk dressing ingredients and add to the salad, mixing gently. Serve warm, or refrigerate to chill before serving.
  • *To toast the pine nuts, simply arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees F, until lightly toasted, for approximately 5 to 7 minutes {watch carefully to make sure they do not burn}. Cool completely before using.

I would love to hear how you like to eat quinoa! For breakfast? In casseroles? Please share by leaving a comment below! If it is a new food for you… and you give it a try, I’d love to hear what you think of the superfood! Click here for additional information, cooking tips, and more tasty quinoa recipes! 

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