Given how hot and muggy the last few days have been, it is little wonder that not many of us want to spend our evenings over a hot stove. Instead, we can turn to meals that don’t require much in the way of cooking. Over the last few weeks, this blog has shared many salad recipes, and here is one more because a. it tastes good and b. it is hot outside! and c. this salad is nutritious and delicious. You can use the vegetables shared below or any, really, that you like. The beauty of this recipe is that there are endless variations. Instead of quinoa you can use another grain of your choice. You can also add beans or another protein.
Quinoa Rainbow Vegetable Salad
Prepare one cup of quinoa. Place a cup of rinsed quinoa in a saucepan with two cups of water; simmer until soft, about 15 minutes. Let cool.
chop a handful of green beans and two carrots; boil for 2-3 minutes and then quickly drain and run cool water over them.
combine the following in a large bowl:
1/2 to a cup of shredded red cabbage
kernels from one ear of corn
green onions–chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped.
1/2 cup kalamata olives
1/4 cup capers
herbs and leaves to your taste: chopped celery leaves, basil, etc
Then, add the cooked veggies and quinoa to the bowl.
Toss in about a 1/2 cup olive oil’ 1/4 cup vinegar of your choice, some fresh lemon juice, salt and pepper. Mix together and let marinate for a while.
Serve with feta (optional) and chopped tomato on top.
Enjoy!
