Sides
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Vegetarian

Summer Quinoa Salad

Recipe by Elena Palermo

Enjoy this refreshing quinoa salad packed with fresh herbs, seasonal local vegetables and juicy grapes! Perfect accompaniment to any outside celebration. Get creative and substitute your favorite summer produce.

Prep Time

10 minutes

Cook Time

30 minutes

Yield

4 Servings

Ingredients

1 cup quinoa (dry)
2 cups water
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup grapes, red (halved)
1 cup spinach (roughly chopped)
1 cup cucumber (peeled and chopped)
2 tablespoons mint (finely chopped)
1 tablespoon cilantro, fresh (finely chopped)
2 tablespoons tahini
1⁄4 cup lemon juice (fresh)
1 teaspoon cumin
1⁄2 teaspoon turmeric
1⁄2 teaspoon salt
1⁄4 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil

Instructions

In a fine-mesh strainer, rinse quinoa under cold running water. In a small saucepan, heat 1 Tbsp olive oil over medium heat, add the quinoa and toast, stirring constantly for about 1-2 minutes. Add 2 cups of water and bring to a boil. Then reduce heat to low, cover and cook for about 15-20 minutes. Remove the saucepan from the heat and set aside to cool. While the quinoa is cooling, in a mason jar, combine all ingredients for the dressing and shake until well combined. Set aside.

To assemble: in a large bowl, add quinoa from saucepan and fluff with a fork. Add mint, cilantro, grapes, spinach and cucumbers. Pour dressing over the salad and toss to coat the vegetables. Add more salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate, covered or enjoy at room temperature!