Summer Vegetable Quinoa Salad

I know what you're thinking-what is Quinoa, and why would I want to make a salad with it?

Quinoa is actually the seed of the plant it comes in a variety of colors. It has more protein, dietary fiber, B vitamins, and dietary minerals than many other grains. It is a great substitute for white rice. Harvard (TH Chan School of Public Health) says "One cup cooked provides about 8 grams of protein and 5 grams of fiber. Unlike some plant proteins, quinoa is a complete protein, meaning that it contains all nine essential amino acids that our bodies cannot make on their own. Quinoa is also naturally gluten-free and can be eaten safely if one has gluten intolerance such as celiac disease."

Sounds good to me! But does it taste good?

I have substituted quinoa in many recipes in place of rice. Personally, I find that it tastes just like the rice it replaced. It depends entirely on what you add as seasoning.

Helpful tip: You want to rinse the quinoa before cooking it.

I hope you enjoy this recipe!

Ingredients

• 4 cups boiling water

• 3 oz olive oil

• 1 tsp sea salt or kosher salt

• Juice from one lemon

• 1 medium tomato, diced

• 1 medium cucumber, diced

• 1 medium zucchini, diced

• 1 medium red onion, diced

• 1 medium carrot, grated

• ½ cup fresh parsley or mint, or both

• 2 cups rinsed quinoa

Preparation

1. Bring water to a slow boil

2. Add salt, oil, and lemon juice

3. Add in the quinoa. Simmer covered for 15 minutes.

4. Remove, and cool well

5. In a bowl, add all the veggies and herbs

6. Toss in quinoa and mix well

7. Serve on a bed of dark greens

Thank you to the good people at Brigham Health for this amazing

summertime side dish!

Summer Vegetable Quinoa Salad - Brigham and Women’s Hospital (brighamandwomens.org)

Quinoa https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/food-features/quinoa/