I’ve seen various quinoa salads posted online (FB, Pinterest, online magazines, etc) and I’m always inspired by those colorful dishes I see. The other day, I bought some red quinoa because I love quinoa, and the color of this variety really adds to the visual appeal of the dish. While I may have been tempted to make any of the variety of quinoa salads my friends and colleagues have shared, I simply had certain items in my refrigerator and pantry I wanted to use. And what a great way to enjoy my current staples. Here’s the salad below, followed by the recipe.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup dry red quinoa
- 1/2 cup of garbanzo beans (or rice – I actually had maybe 1/4 cup of leftover rice which I tossed in this dish)
- 2 red beets, chopped
- 1/4 cup dried cranberries
- 3 oz of goat milk feta, chopped
- 1 cup of rinsed, finely chopped kale (I bought a pre-mix of finely chopped kale and carrots)
- Juice of 1 lemon (and zest)
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 tsp honey
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp Tamari
Directions
Cook quinoa and let it cool. In a mixing bowl, add quinoa, garbanzo beans (or rice), feta, cranberries and finely chopped kale. In a small bowl make the dressing — combine olive oil, honey, lemon, garlic, tamari and stir well. Pour dressing into the quinoa mixture and toss well to coat. Serve over greens! Optional: Add 1-2 tsp toasted pine nuts or crust walnuts. Scoop us a cup of the quinoa salad and serve over 1-2 cups of greens (i.e.: Romaine or mixed greens). ENJOY!
Filed under: healthy lifestyles, Nutri-Savvy, nutrition, Recipes, Simple Meals
