Quinoa spinach salad
With the warm weather finally making its way into our daily lives, adding a tasty and nutrient filled salad to the mix is a necessity. This week, I want to share a recipe that will satisfy both your taste buds and your hunger.
Quinoa is an ancient grain that is flexible in its use – its mild flavour lends itself to both sweet and savory dishes, and its texture the same. It has a substantially high level of protein, which keeps you feeling fuller for longer. I encourage you to test things out, and bring this super food into your pantry. This recipe is one of my favourites and is perfect for this time of year.
Begin by measuring out one cup of dry quinoa into a pot that has a tight fitting lid. Then, add in two cups of water, cover and let boil. Turn down the heat and let simmer until the water has been completely absorbed and the quinoa is cooked, stirring occasionally. Once the quinoa is cooked, remove from heat and let cool. Remember, it is always a 1:2 ratio when cooking quinoa, just like cooking rice.
While the quinoa is cooking, prep your vegetables. Rinse half a cucumber, two roma tomatoes, and two cups of fresh spinach. Chop the tomatoes and cucumber into small cubes, and tear the spinach if necessary. Then, place all of these ingredients into a large glass dish.
Chop half a red onion and a mince a couple of cloves of garlic. Add these into the glass dish with the other fresh ingredients. Then, slice and cube half an avocado and add it into the mixture, adding the juice from one fresh lemon alongside to prevent the avocado from browning.
Next, add in a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, a few tablespoons of apple cider vinegar, and salt and pepper to taste. Add cubed feta cheese (if desired) to the mixture. Allow all the vegetables and the feta to marinate together until the quinoa is ready to be added.
All that is left now is to add the cooled quinoa. Once added, stir the entire mixture together and allow it to sit in the fridge for a half an hour so all of the flavours are able to come together.
This dish can be eaten alone, or served as a side dish to accompany some grilled meats or vegetables. A great warm weather salad!
Ingredient list:
– 1 lemon
– Apple cider vinegar
– Extra virgin olive oil
– 2 Roma tomatoes
– 1/2 cucumber
– 1/2 red onion
– 2 cloves of garlic
– 2 cups spinach
– 1 cup quinoa
– 1/2 avocado
– Feta cheese
-Salt and pepper