Quinoa Salad

Summer is the perfect time for farmer’s markets – there are so many fresh veggies! Sometimes you buy more than you ended up needing. For times like those, this “clean out the fridge” quinoa chopped salad is a great way to get in all of the summer goodness with the added bonus of protein and fiber rich quinoa.

Quinoa has become such a go-to for me. There’s a chewiness to rice, specifically, that I love. Quinoa is such a great protein source with a similar chew! I have it by itself in a variety of dishes, but I’ll also mix some into my short-grain rice for a fantastic chewy boost. Kind of like rice, too, you can use quinoa for breakfast or dessert, and add some milk / cream and berries. You can also use it in savory dishes, like a filler for meatballs, with butter and herbs as a side dish, or even cooked with sweet potatoes and cinnamon – and salads. I’m obsessed.

Quinoa is the perfect ingredient for this Mediterranean chopped salad. With Greek flavors like mint, pistachios, feta, parsley, and cucumbers, it’s a refreshing, super energizing salad that’s good on its own, but even more delicious inside a pita pocket. You can also add tomatoes and olives to take it another step further.

Other variations on this salad are to make it Italian-inspired, with basil and oregano instead of mint, and mozzarella or provolone for the feta. You can even add chopped mangos and strawberries and replace the pistachios with pecans, for a fruit-forward quinoa salad that’s amazing! I hope you try your own variation on this quinoa chopped salad – I think it’ll easily become a part of your regular rotation.

For other salad ideas, try my Summer Salads! You can also serve this as part of a picnic spread, alongside my Tuna & Tomato Tart or my Stuffed Bagels.

Ingredients

Quinoa

• 1/2 cup quinoa 
• 1 cup water

Salad

• Cucumber (English / Persian / Japanese preferred), chopped
• Quinoa
• Parsley, chopped
• Mint, chopped
• Roasted pistachios
• Feta, crumbled
• Cherry tomatoes
• Salt & pepper
• Lemon juice
• Olive oil

Directions

(Quinoa can be made ahead of time. Cooked quinoa will keep for 5 days in the fridge, or up to 2 months in the freezer.)

Rinse quinoa under running water, for about 30 seconds in a fine mesh sieve,  to remove the bitter coating.

Put the rinsed quinoa in a pot. Add water and bring to a boil.

Once the water comes to a boil, bring heat down to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes.

Turn heat off, cover with lid and allow to steam for 5 minutes.

Fluff with a fork. 

Chop up cucumber, parsley, mint, and place in a salad bowl. 

Layer 1/2 of the cooked quinoa on top of veggies. Use the other half for another recipe.

Crumble feta, chop pistachios, and slice cherry tomatoes in half. Add to salad. 

Drizzle lemon juice and olive oil over salad. Add salt and pepper to taste. 

Mix everything together before eating. Enjoy!