How to make Quinoa Salad? (Refreshing, Quick and Delicious)

• Food: Quinoa Salad (Refreshing, Quick, and Delicious)
• Writer: Nicolas Wilson
• Content-Type: Food Blog

Let me introduce you to my favorite quinoa salad! I’ve published a number of quinoa salad recipes over the years, and while I enjoy them all, this one is by far my favorite.

This quinoa salad is light, crisp, and flavorful. Fresh cucumber, red bell pepper, red onion, chickpeas, fresh parsley, and a garlicky olive oil and lemon dressing are used to make it.

The salad reminds me of tabouleh, a Lebanese salad with tomatoes and bulgur that is herbed.

Why is this recipe so Delicious?

There are three reasons to enjoy this recipe:

• This quinoa salad recipe comes together quickly, especially if you use leftover quinoa (see recipe note). The recipe calls for my preferred quinoa cooking method, which consistently produces fluffy quinoa.
• For lunch, picnics, road vacations, and aircraft rides, this salad is ideal.
• Bring this allergy-friendly salad to your next get-together—vegan/dairy-free, it’s gluten-free and nut-free, so everyone can enjoy it.

This dish isn’t “simple,” but it has a number of qualities that make it a go-to in my kitchen. I hope you’ll make it your go-to quinoa salad dish as well! Please let me know how it goes in the comments section.

Quinoa Salad

This recipe for quinoa salad is fantastic! This healthful quinoa salad with quinoa, chickpeas, red bell pepper, cucumber, parsley, and lemon is a hit with everyone. It’s also gluten-free and vegan! 4 medium salads or 8 side salads from this recipe

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed in a fine-mesh colander
• 2 cups water
• 1 can (15 ounces) chickpeas, rinsed and drained, or 1 ½ cups cooked chickpeas
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 1 medium cucumber, seeded and chopped
• 1 medium red bell pepper, chopped
• ¾ cup chopped red onion (from 1 small red onion)
• 1 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley (from 1 large bunch)
• ¼ cup lemon juice (from 2 to 3 lemons)
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
• ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a medium saucepan, combine the rinsed quinoa and the water to cook the quinoa. Over medium-high heat, bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to maintain a soft simmer. Cook, uncovered, for 15 minutes or until the quinoa has absorbed all of the water, decreasing heat as needed to maintain a moderate simmer. Remove from heat, cover, and set aside for 5 minutes to allow the quinoa to fluff up.
2. Combine the chickpeas, cucumber, bell pepper, onion, and parsley in a large serving bowl. Remove from the equation.
3. Combine the olive oil, lemon juice, vinegar, garlic, and salt in a small bowl. Set aside after whisking until smooth.
4. Add the quinoa to the serving bowl once it’s mostly cool, and sprinkle the dressing on top. Toss until the ingredients are well distributed. Season with black pepper to taste, and if necessary, a touch of salt. Allow the salad to rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving for the finest flavor.
5. This salad will keep for about 4 days in the refrigerator, covered. Chill or serve at room temperature.

NOTES

• QUINOA NOTE: If you have 3 cups of cooked quinoa left over, you can use it instead of cooking new quinoa.
• CHANGE IT UP: As written, this salad is fantastic. Serve it over fresh greens with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and a squeeze of lemon juice as a dressing.