The Best Quinoa Salad You Will Ever Try
Bold statement? More like, bold flavor, as the quinoa, cucumber, red bell pepper, red onions, and feta cheese come together for a side dish you'll want to pair with every entree.
Servings 2
Ingredients
The Salad:
- 1 cup uncooked quinoa rinsed
- 2 cups water
- 1 medium cucumber seeded and chopped
- 1 medium red bell pepper chopped
- 1 small red onion sliced
- 2 oz feta cheese crumbled
- 1 bunch fresh parsley chopped
The Dressing:
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
- pinch of salt and fresh black pepper
Instructions
- Combine the rinsed quinoa with water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil on medium-high heat. Let the mixture simmer for about 15 minutes, or until the quinoa has absorbed all the water.
- Remove the pot from the heat and set aside to cool.
- In a small bowl, combine the dressing ingredients (olive oil, lemon juice, red wine vinegar). Whisk until blended, then season with salt and pepper.
- In another bowl, combine the cooked quinoa, cucumber, bell pepper, red onions, and parsley. Toss well.
- Crumble the feta cheese over the quinoa salad and let the salad rest in the fridge for at least 5 minutes before serving. Enjoy!
Notes
- For this salad, I use a very simple dressing, but it's very versatile and goes well with any other vegetables. Nevertheless, feel free to modify this salad dressing by adding a tablespoon of Dijon mustard or apple cider vinegar instead of red wine vinegar.
- You can choose between white and red quinoa. Use white quinoa if you want a fluffier texture, or red quinoa if you prefer something grainier. I like to use white quinoa for this recipe, as it has a more delicate taste when cooked.
- You should always rinse the quinoa under cold water for 1 minute before cooking. This helps remove any bitter flavor from the quinoa.