Simple Quinoa Salad

This tasty salad is easy to make and packed with vitamins and minerals! Perfect for a light lunch or as a refreshing side. 

Quinoa has recently been ‘rediscovered’ as an important staple and superfood*.

What is quinoa?

Quinoa is a member of the spinach, chard and beet family. The leaves of the plant can be prepared like spinach but it is mostly the seeds from its many small flowers, which are harvested.

The seeds have a delicate nutty flavour and a firm texture. They are gluten-free, easy to digest, light and quite satisfying.

Health benefits of quinoa

As a complete protein, they provide the same value as meat or fish, and are rich in essential amino acids, calcium, phosphorous and iron. They also contain slow release carbohydrates, which is quite satisfying and sustains you for longer.

How to use quinoa

Quinoa is incredibly versatile and is delicious served hot or cold. It can be used in its seed form for salads, in soups, as a substitute for rice, pasta, breadcrumbs, and even to make beer! Ground down, the protein-rich flour is used to make breads, cookies and cakes.

Do you need to soak quinoa?

Store bought quinoa has usually already been pre-washed to remove the saponins which give a bitter taste, but can be washed before cooking for a smoother taste. There is no need to pre-soak.

Types of Quinoa

• White – has the mildest flavour. Once cooked, it has the fluffiest texture and is perfect as a substitute for rice.
• Red – has a nuttier flavour and chewier texture. It is perfect for baking as it holds its shape well.
• Black – has a sweet and earthy flavour, and is also great for baking.

This recipe uses white quinoa. When cooked in water, it swells, so 1 cup of quinoa will make 3 cups.

How to make quinoa salad

1. Rinse the quinoa well under water in a fine mesh strainer.
2. In a small saucepan, add the quinoa and salt to the water and bring to a boil.
3. Stir and bring to a boil, then turn down the heat and cover. Allow to simmer for 15 minutes.
4. Once the liquid is absorbed, remove from heat and spread the quinoa out onto a large plate to cool and fluff with a fork.
5. Once cooled, transfer to a mixing bowl and mix in the rest of the ingredients.
6. Refrigerate for 15 minutes and serve with slices of boiled eggs.

Pro Tips

• Toast the quinoa in a pan before cooking it – it gives a delicious nutty flavour!
• It is best to cook the quinoa in advance so it has a chance to dry out, before preparing the salad.
• This salad tastes even better if it is refrigerated for a couple of hours before serving.

*Quinoa and the Incas

The Incas called Quinoa, chisaya mama, the ‘mother of all grains’, and considered it to be so sacred that the Sapa Inca (or Emperor) would sow the first seeds of the season using tools made of gold.

Being an incredibly hardy crop, it formed part of the culinary culture of Peru and sustained the Imperial Inca army in its conquests. When the Spanish Conquistadors arrived, they suppressed the farming of Quinoa because of its association with ceremonies in honour of the local Mother Earth goddess, Pachamama.

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Simple Quinoa Salad

Nicole Shroff

This tasty salad is easy to make and packed with vitamins and minerals! Perfect for a light lunch or as a refreshing side. 

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time 25 mins

Cook Time 15 mins

Total Time 40 mins

Course light meal, Side, Snack

Cuisine All

Servings 2 people

Calories 392.8 kcal

Ingredients

Metric | US Customary

• ▢ 1 cup quinoa the white variety
• ▢ 1 ½ cups water vegetable or chicken broth may be used
• ▢ 1 medium red onion diced
• ▢ 1 medium tomato diced
• ▢ 3 tablespoons fresh parsley finely chopped
• ▢ 3 tablespoons fresh cilantro (coriander) finely chopped
• ▢ 10 mint leaves finely chopped
• ▢ 1 cup corn
• ▢ 2 scallions (spring onions) chop the bulbs and stalks finely
• ▢ ½ teaspoon sea salt to taste
• ▢ 3 tablespoons olive oil
• ▢ 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• ▢ 1 tablespoon lemon juice

MetricUS Customary

Instructions

 

• ▢
  Rinse the quinoa well under cold water in a fine mesh strainer.
• ▢
  In a small saucepan, add the quinoa and salt to the water and bring to a boil.
• ▢
  Stir and bring to a boil, then turn down the heat and cover. Allow to simmer for 15 minutes.
• ▢
  When liquid is absorbed, remove from heat and spread onto a large plate to cool, then fluff with a fork.
• ▢
  Once cool, transfer to a mixing bowl and mix in the rest of the ingredients.
• ▢
  Allow to chill for 15 minutes. Serve with wedges of boiled eggs.

Notes

• Toast the quinoa in a pan before cooking it - it gives a delicious nutty flavour!
• It is best to cook the quinoa in advance so it has a chance to dry out, before preparing the salad.
• This salad tastes even better if it is refrigerated for a couple of hours before serving.

MEASUREMENT NOTES

The ingredients here on EOTF are set out in grams & milliliters and in US cups & spoons.

Nutrition

Calories: 392.8kcalCarbohydrates: 42.1gProtein: 7.6gFat: 23.3gSaturated Fat: 3.3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3.63gSodium: 772.9mgPotassium: 585.93mgFiber: 6.4gSugar: 10.2gVitamin A: 1300IUVitamin C: 35.5mgCalcium: 60mgIron: 2.7mg

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