A go-to quinoa salad that I make often. It varies slightly with what I have on hand, but the capers, artichokes, and Kalamata olives are staples to give it more flavor. Sun-dried tomatoes are good in it too if you like those. My fresh herb of choice is parsley in this one, but being close to summer, add in some fresh chopped mint if you have that on hand as well. It’s a “recipe” that you can’t mess up.
How To Soak and Cook Quinoa
You can easily just follow the package directions on quinoa, but rinse it for a minute at the very least. If you like extra details, keep reading. It becomes second nature when you do it often.
I like to soak quinoa for a few hours or overnight prior to cooking it, but at the very least I rinse it super well regardless of what the package says. If you ever had bitter tasting quinoa, it was not rinsed well enough or at all. There is a coating on quinoa called saponin that gives it the bitter taste if not properly rinsed.
A 2-3 Hour Soak. Add one cup of quinoa to a glass bowl and submerge in room temperature water. Add enough water so that it’s at least an inch above the quinoa. Once the time is up, drain and rinse the quinoa for about 1 minute in a fine mesh strainer. Add quinoa to a small pot on the stovetop with 1 1/2 cups water. Don’t under measure if you tend to measure quickly, go closer to 1 3/4 cup vs 1 1/4 cup water. Bring to a boil and then lower the heat to low. Cover and simmer for 13-15 minutes until the water absorbs and quinoa rises. After, move the pot off the burner, but keep it covered for 10 minutes. Once ready, fluff it up with a fork or use a wood spoon like I do.
An Overnight Soak. Add one cup of quinoa to a glass bowl and submerge in room temperature water. Add enough water so that it’s about 2 inches above the quinoa. In the morning, drain and rinse the quinoa for about 1 minute in a fine mesh strainer. Add quinoa to a small pot on the stovetop with 1 cup of filtered water. Bring to a low boil and then lower the heat to low right away. Cover and simmer for 9-10 minutes until the water absorbs and the quinoa rises. After, move the pot off the hot burner, but keep it covered for around 5 minutes. Once ready, fluff it up with a fork or use a wooden spoon like I do.
Another salad recipe with quinoa in it that I enjoy often is this Kale Quinoa White Bean Salad.
You can also use quinoa in sweet dishes, like this Quinoa Cereal (Hot or Cold). Quinoa is such a versatile food!
Go-To Quinoa Salad Recipe
Go-To Quinoa Salad
Ingredients
Method
- To a large bowl add the cooked quinoa, cucumbers, tomatoes, olives, capers, artichokes, the juice of one lemon, a few good shakes of dried oregano, a pinch of sea salt, and a pinch of ground pepper. Give it a good stir.
- Add in the chopped parsley and arugula or spinach along with the juice of one more lemon. Tong and mix together well. If you are adding chickpeas, you can add them here as well.
- Add the servings to large salad bowls and top each one with sliced avocado. Squeeze on some more lemon juice and add a bit more salt, pepper, and oregano to taste. ENJOY!
Notes
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