Crunchy Quinoa Salad


First you'll need to make the quinoa:

1 cup quinoa
salt

Quinoa has a natural bitter coating called saponin. If you are buying quinoa in bulk, you will need to soak it for a few minutes and then rinse it in cold clear water until the “soapy” residue is gone. Some boxed brands may be pre-rinsed, but they still retain the nutritional goodness.

Place the quinoa in a saucepan. Add 2 cups fresh water and a pinch of sea salt. Cover and cook on a low simmer until all the water is evaporated and the quinoa is tender- roughly 20 minutes. Fluff with a fork and dump it into a large salad bowl.

For the salad you'll need:

1 can chilled chickpeas, rinsed, drained
1/2 cup purple onion, chopped
1/2 cup cucumber, cubed
1/2 cup celery, chopped
1 small tomato, diced
1 clove garlic, minced

For the vinaigrette dressing:

2 Tbsp. hemp oil
1 Tbsp. olive oil
2 Tbsp. soya sauce
1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
1 Tbsp. fresh dill, chopped
1/2 Tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped

Whisk together ingredients for the vinaigrette.

Add the chickpeas, onion, celery, cucumber, tomato and garlic to the quinoa and fluff. Pour on the vinaigrette and toss gently to coat. Season to taste with sea salt and ground pepper.

This recipe is also linked on...

This Week's Cravings: Summer Vegetables

No comments: