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Quinoa salad with vegetables

17/11/2023

The quinoa salad with vegetables is a nutritious and versatile dish that can be adapted based on the seasonal vegetables you have available or to your personal tastes. Here is a basic version that you can customize to your liking:

Ingredients

  • 1 cup of quinoa
  • 2 cups of water (or vegetable broth, for more flavor)
  • 1 zucchini
  • 1 red pepper
  • 1 carrot
  • 100 g of cherry tomatoes
  • 50 g of pitted black olives
  • Fresh parsley (to taste)
  • Juice of one lemon
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • Salt and pepper q.s.

Preparation

  1. Rinse the quinoa well under running water using a fine mesh strainer to remove the saponin, which can give it a bitter aftertaste.
  2. In a pot, bring the two cups of water or the vegetable broth to a boil, add a pinch of salt and then the quinoa. Reduce the heat, cover, and cook for about 15-20 minutes or until the water has been absorbed. Turn off the heat and let it rest with the lid on for 5 minutes, then fluff it with a fork.
  3. In the meantime, dice the zucchini, red pepper, and carrot into small cubes and quarter the cherry tomatoes. You can cook the diced vegetables in a pan with a drizzle of oil and salt to make them tender, or leave them raw if you prefer a crunchier texture.
  4. In a large bowl, combine the cooked quinoa and vegetables. Add the sliced olives and chopped parsley.
  5. Dress the salad with lemon juice, a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, salt, and pepper to taste. Mix well and let the salad rest in the fridge for at least half an hour before serving.

The quinoa salad with vegetables is perfect as a main dish, especially in the summer, but it can also be a great side dish. If you wish, you can add cubed feta cheese or toasted almonds for a crunchy and delicious note.

Curiosity

Quinoa is not a grain, but a seed that belongs to the same family as beets and spinach. It is considered a “superfood” because of its high content of complete proteins (it contains all nine essential amino acids), fiber, and various essential nutrients. In South America, it has been a staple food for thousands of years and is often called “the grain of the Incas”.