This is an amazing quinoa salad, that is packed full of flavour and goodness. It has a real zesty kick to it, like most Mediterranean salads. Quinoa I will admit is pretty bland and not my favourite if I am being honest, but let me show how you can easily make it a taste great. This is a recipe you will come back to again and again.
I usually make a huge batch of this quinoa salad whenever I make it, this is so that it will last us all week. It has so much packed into it that you don’t get bored of the flavours. It also pretty much covers most of the essential food groups you need in a wholesome meal.
So what is is quinoa?
Quinoa is flowing plant that is related to spinach and amaranth. The part that we buy and cook are the seeds that come from the plant
These seeds are packed full of goodness including B vitamins, fiber, protein, carbohydrates and minerals.
It is great if you are on a vegetarian or vegan diet as it contains lots of micronutrients.
Ingredients for the quinoa salad
Shopping list
- Quinoa.
- Vegetable broth or you can use chicken if you prefer
- Bell pepper I prefer to use orange or red, but yellow and green work too.
- Red onion
- Long English cucumber.
- Cherry tomatoes
- Cilantro, also known as coriander leaf
- Jalapeno, this is optional.
- Black olives
- Chickpeas
- Feta
- Limes
- Red wine vinegar
- Garlic
- Olive oil
- Sea salt and black pepper
How to make the quinoa salad
Cook the quinoa
Begin by cooking your quinoa. You can follow the instructions on the packet for this.
How I like to cook my quinoa is I do 1 cup quinoa to 2 cups liquid, always a stock/bouillon. Bring it to the boil and cook for around 12 minutes with the lid on, or until the liquid has been absorbed and the grains look fluffy. I then remove it from the heat leaving the lid on a let is steam for a further 5 minutes.
The trick to having tasty quinoa is to cook it in stock or bouillon whether it is vegetable or chicken is doesn’t matter that is a personal choice. Now stock can be quite salty, so if you want to add a bit of salt too use with caution.
Once it is cooked place it into a good sized bowl and set aside to cool.
Make up the salad
Once the quinoa has completely cooled down make the rest of the salad
Chop all of the vegetables, Dicing them all into bite sized pieces. add them to the bowl as you go.
Finely chop the cilantro and the jalapeno if you are using it.
Mince the garlic and add to the bowl.
Crumble in the feta cheese. If you want to make this a vegan recipe you can omit the cheese or use a vegan substitute.
Drain the olives and the chickpeas. If you have sliced olives they can be added right in along with the chickpeas. But, if they are whole then you will need to slice them, at least in half.
Add the olive oil, red wine vinegar and lime juice.
To finish season with sea salt and black pepper.
Give it all a good mix so that all of the ingredients are evenly combined.
Enjoy as a side dish or as a mains for lunch.
It is amazing paired with some warm crusty bread.
Quinoa Salad
A zesty quinoa salad packed full of flavour. Great dish for the summer and so quick to make up.
Ingredients
- 1 cup (170g) Quinoa
- 2 cups (500 mls) Vegetable stock/bouillon
- 1 Bell pepper, orange or red
- 1/2 Red onion
- 1/2 Long English cucumber
- 1 pint (340g) Cherry tomatoes
- 2-3 Cloves Garlic
- 1/2 Cup (small bunch) Cilantro (coriander leaf)
- 1 Cup (135g) sliced black olives
- 1 Cup (165g) Chickpeas
- 100g Feta cheese
- Juice 2 Limes
- 1/4 cup (63mls) Olive oil
- 1/4 cup (63mls) Red wine vinegar
- Sea salt and Black pepper
Instructions
Cook the quinoa
- Begin by cooking your quinoa. Follow the instructions on the packet for this. Use the vegetable broth in place of the water. See notes.
- Once it is cooked place it into a good sized bowl and set aside to cool.
Make up the salad
- Once the quinoa has completely cooled down make the rest of the salad.
- Chop all of the vegetables, Dicing them all into bite sized pieces. adding them to the bowl with the quinoa as you go.
- Finely chop the cilantro and the jalapeno if you are using it.
- Mince the garlic and add to the bowl.
- Crumble in the feta cheese. If you want to make this a vegan recipe you can omit the cheese or use a vegan substitute.
- Drain the olives and the chickpeas. If you have sliced olives they can be added right in along with the chickpeas. But, if they are whole then you will need to slice them, at least in half.
- Add the olive oil, red wine vinegar and lime juice.
- To finish season with sea salt and black pepper.
- Give it all a good mix so that all of the ingredients are evenly combined.
Enjoy as a side dish or as a mains for lunch.
It is amazing paired with some warm crusty bread.
Notes
- The trick to having tasty quinoa is to cook it in stock or bouillon whether it is vegetable or chicken is doesn't matter that is a personal choice. Now stock can be quite salty, so if you want to add a bit of salt too use with caution.
- I cook my quinoa like this. 1 cup quinoa to 2 cups liquid bring to the boil and cook for around 12 minutes with the lid on, or until the liquid has been absorbed and the grains look fluffy. I then remove it from the heat leaving the lid on a let is steam for a further 5 minutes.
Leave a Comment