Simple Quinoa Salad Recipe

Craving something delicious and packed with flavor? This quinoa salad is perfect for you! Toss some cooked quinoa with diced tomatoes, briny olives, and crumbles of salty cheese, and suddenly an otherwise ordinary grain becomes a taste sensation. Complete your meal with a pan-fried salmon fillet for a well-rounded dinner.

If your local supermarket doesn't stock quinoa, don't fret! You can easily find it at your health food store, gourmet grocery, or even online.

Here's the breakdown for this quick and easy recipe:

Quinoa Salad

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cups quinoa, any color or variety
Kosher salt
3 medium tomatoes, cored and large dice
3/4 cup mixed olives, pitted and coarsely chopped
5 teaspoons freshly squeezes lemon juice, plus more as needed
2 tablespoons olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup feta, blue, or ricotta salata cheese, crumbled (optional)

Instructions:

Rinse the quinoa in a strainer under cold water until the water runs clear.
Place the quinoa in a large saucepan, cover with about 2 to 3 inches of cold water, season with salt, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer, uncovered, until the white outer casings on the quinoa have popped, revealing translucent little beads, about 15 to 20 minutes.
Strain the quinoa and transfer it to a large bowl. Let sit at room temperature until cooled, about 45 minutes. (Or to cool it faster, spread the drained quinoa in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet; it'll cool in about 15 minutes. Then transfer to a large bowl. You can prepare the recipe through this step the night before you make the salad.)
Add the tomatoes, olives, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine. If you choose, fold in the cheese. Taste and add more salt, pepper, or lemon juice as needed.

For a Mediterranean twist, try swapping out the salmon with grilled lamb or chicken, and use a zesty lemon and dill dressing. You can also add in diced cucumber, chopped bell peppers, or crumbled feta cheese to elevate this dish further. Enjoy your meal!

If you can't find quinoa at your local supermarket, consider visiting your health food store, a gourmet grocery, or shopping online for this ingredient. This Quinoa Salad recipe, part of the uncertaimzed category of other health systems, is easy to prepare and yields a flavorful, nutritious meal. To make it, rinse 1 3/4 cups of quinoa in a strainer under cold water, then cook according to the instructions provided. Once cooled, combine the cooked quinoa with diced tomatoes, chopped olives, freshly squeezed lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper. For added flavor, crumble in some feta, blue, or ricotta salata cheese. Experiment with variations such as swapping salmon for grilled lamb or chicken, or adding diced cucumber, chopped bell peppers, or more feta cheese. Bon appétit!