Summer Vegetable Salad with Quinoa

Are you tired of the thousand or so recipes for ” Mediterranean Quinoa Salad?”Well, so am I for many reasons! ‘1: Quinoa, a grain, is native to the Andes Mountains of South America. Not the Mediterranean! #2: The cuisine of the Mediterranean is complex as it should be. Morocco is far and away unique and bears no resemblance to the cuisine of Israel, Greece, Spain or Italy, all of whom border on the Mediterranean Sea. #3: There are so many varieties of vegetables unique to each country that you just can’t lump them all together and call it a “Mediterranean Salad.”  So let’s move on and create a healthy, happy Quinoa Salad with lots of vegetables from wherever you live! Quinoa is a complete vegetable protein that contains all nine of the essential amino acids. So yes, it is very healthy but even more than that, it is the perfect foil for so many salads and vegetable dishes. These crunchy tiny bits just pop in your mouth! Because of its neutral flavor, Quinoa attracts all the flavors you may add to it in a recipe. Quick cooking, it will make a delectable addition to your summer salads!

I concocted a delightful salad filled with a ton of  fresh vegetables and some jarred, using Quinoa as the base and topped with a simple Olive Oil and Red Wine Vinegar dressing. So refreshing on a hot summer day. Dan and I love fresh vegetables of all kinds, and really look forward to all the goodness our garden will provide us. This salad can be very versatile and I plan on switching out different veggies as they become available. Veggies like green beans, radishes and yellow summer squash.

Here’s what we’ll need!

Summer Vegetable Salad with Quinoa

Please use this recipe as a base for your summer salads! Feel free to use whatever vegetables are in season or you have on hand to create a truly unique "this is my version!" Add green or red peppers, celery, red onion, edamame, peas, green beans, radishes etc., to use whatever is available in your region. You'll be glad you did!

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Servings 8 1 cup servings

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

Cooked Quinoa

• 1 Cup Quinoa
• 2 Cups Water

Salad fixings

• 1 cup cucumber chopped. I use English Cukes
• 1/2 Cup sliced scallions
• 15 Grape Tomatoes quartered or whatever you have.
• 6 oz jar Marinated Artichoke Hearts drained and chopped
• 1/2 Cup Parsely minced
• 12 or more pitted Kalamata Olives chopped
• 2 Tbsp small Capers a single chop is all that is needed.
• 3 Tbsp EVOO Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 3 Tbsp Red Wine Vinegar
• 4 oz Feta Cheese coarsely crumbled

Instructions

 

• Place dry Quinoa in a strainer and rinse heavily under running water. This removes the bitter outer cover. Bring 2 Cups water to a boil in a medium sized saucepan. Add the Quinoa and bring back to a boil, Lower heat to simmer, cover and cook for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and cool completely. Place cooled Quinoa in a large serving bowl.
  

Quinoa Salad

• Chop all ingredients, except Feta Cheese.
  
• Place all ingredients, except Feta, EVOO and Red Wine Vinegar in a serving bowl. Stir in the cooked and cooled Quinoa.
  
• Add the EVOO, Red Wine Vinegar and the crumbled Feta Cheese. Toss gently until combined.
  
• Add salt and pepper to taste and serve 'er up!
  
• Thanks for stopping by today friends! I hope you all have #1: Having summer ( we have got there yet!) #2 You all are enjoying all natures bounty of fresh vegetables!
• Journey On! Hugs and much love from me, Karen, TJG

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