Quinoa Salad

Quinoa can be a really odd salad. Laura’s Lunch Bunch salad this week is amazing. The odd mix of Aztec grain, cucumber, green pepper, garbanzo beans, chives, and lemon give this hearty lettuce topper makes this lunchtime veg-fest pop.

As you may have already read on this blog, nothing gets my taste buds more excited than vegetables that are made more memorably than meat-based entrées. Laura’s salad is one of those rare gems.

Here’s how to make a tangy, perfect vegetable melange for your Tuesday.

Ingredients

2 c chicken stock

1 clove garlic, minced

1 c uncooked quinoa, rinsed

1 large red onion, diced

1 large green bell pepper, diced

1/2 c chopped kalamata olives

1/4 c chopped fresh parsley

1/4 cchopped fresh chives

1/2 t salt

1 T balsamic vinegar

1/4 cextra virgin olive oil

Crumbled feta cheese

Sliced lemons for squeezing over the salad

Directions

Bring the stock and garlic to a boil in a saucepan. Stir in the quinoa, reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the quinoa is tender and the water has been absorbed, 15 to 20 minutes. Scrape the quinoa into a large bowl.

Gently stir the onion, bell pepper, olives, parsley, chives, and salt into the quinoa. Toss with balsamic vinegar and olive oil. Stir until evenly mixed. Serve cold.

Plate the salad and squeeze seeded lemon slices over the top. Sprinkle with crumbled feta, et viola!

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