I recently made this recipe during a Bachelorette Party weekend BBQ and everyone has been asking me for the recipe! So, here it is - Quinoa Salad with Lemon and Olive Oil dressing. So easy, so yummy and good for you!
(Serves 4) – This is the typical recipe I adapted for the salad, but the great thing is that you can add in or take away ingredients depending on your preferences. For example, a friend of mine used feta and added grilled chicken for her and her fiance, and I’ve used green beans in place of chickpeas since I had them on hand.
Salad
1 cup Quinoa (prepared to package directions and cooled)
½ 8oz. container of Grape Tomatoes
¼ C Flat-Leaf Parsley, finely chopped
½ a small log of Goat Cheese, crumbled
¼ C Cucumber, seeded and diced
½ C Pitted Kalamata Olives
½ 15 oz. Can of Chickpeas (AKA Garbanzo Beans)
Salt and Pepper
Dressing
Juice of a fresh lemon – should yield about ¼ a Cup
1 Tsp Lemon Zest
¼ C Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper
Directions
Prepare Quinoa according to package directions. To cool, place pot uncovered in fridge for a couple of hours. For a quick cool, place pot uncovered in freezer for 15-20 minutes. Transfer cooled quinoa to a large bowl and add in tomatoes, parsley, chickpeas, goat cheese, cucumber and olives. Toss to combine all ingredients and add salt and pepper to taste.
Combine all dressing ingredients in a small bowl, whisking until dressing emulsifies. Pour over salad and toss to coat.
Lastly, this salad only gets better as time goes on, so be sure to make more in order to enjoy the leftovers for lunch or dinner!
