Quinoa and Veggie Salad with Fresh Herbs and Olives
Here’s another yummy quinoa salad for a summer supper.
Ingredients:
1 c. quinoa
1 1/2 c. water
1/2 tsp salt
Juice and zest of 1 lemon
Equal amount olive oil to lemon juice
1 clove garlic
Salt and pepper to taste
12 marzano tomatoes cut in rounds
1 sweet red pepper chopped in chunks
3 Japanese cucumbers cut in rounds
Handful of fresh basil leaves cut in chiffonade (wash, spin, stack, roll like a cigar, cut in fine strips cross grain)
Handful of fresh mint leaves chopped fine
1/2 cup pitted and chopped kalamata olives
1/2 c chopped or crumbled feta cheese (I like Bulgarian feta best)
- Wash quinoa in cold running water in a fine mesh sieve (I count to 60). This removes the bitter taste so don’t skip this step.
- Bring water to a boil in a small pot.
- Add quinoa and salt and return to a boil. Cover and reduce to a simmer for 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and remove from heat (keep covered) and let stand for 5 minutes. Strain off excess liquid (if any) and spread in a shallow dish to cool.
- While the quiona is cooling peel the garlic and cut in half. Rub a glass bowl with the cut side of the garlic and chop up the rest (fine).
- Chop the tomatoes and put into the glass bowl.
- Add the chopped garlic clove and toss.
- Chiffonade* the basil and toss in with the tomatoes. Click for Youtube video on how to chiffonade basil.
- Zest in the lemon and toss.
- Add some salt and pepper, toss.
- Juice the lemon into a small bowl and whisk with olive oil to make a dressing. Add to the tomatoes, toss.
- Chop the mint leaves and toss in with tomatoes.
- Add cooled quinoa and toss gently.
- Add additional salt and pepper to your taste.
- Gently fold in the chopped red pepper and cucumbers.
- Sprinkle the chopped olives and some chopped feta (optional) over top.
- Put in the fridge for an hour or more to let the flavours develop. The longer this sits the better it gets.
Serves 4 as a meal or 6 as a side. This is a good one to pack as it doesn’t need to be refrigerated.