Quinoa and Summer Veggie Salad
Recipe created by Aine McAteer
Packed with protein, this recipe is a great staple for any vegan diet.
Ingredients
Directions
Rinse and drain the quinoa and combine in a small saucepan with 2 cups water and sea salt. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover the pot and simmer for 15 minutes.
Turn off the heat and transfer the quinoa to a bowl. Set aside until it cools.
Prepare the veggies: Lightly blanch the asparagus and cut into 1-inch pieces, discarding the tough ends. Blanch the corn kernels.
In a mixing bowl, combine the cooked quinoa, tomatoes, corn, asparagus, olives and mint. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, raspberry vinegar and sea salt. Pour the dressing over the quinoa and veggies and toss.
Slice the avocado and drizzle with a little lemon juice. To serve the salad, fan about 6 slices of avocado on each plate and top with about a cup of the salad mixture. Sprinkle with toasted pumpkin seeds and freshly ground black pepper.
Variations:
Turn off the heat and transfer the quinoa to a bowl. Set aside until it cools.
Prepare the veggies: Lightly blanch the asparagus and cut into 1-inch pieces, discarding the tough ends. Blanch the corn kernels.
In a mixing bowl, combine the cooked quinoa, tomatoes, corn, asparagus, olives and mint. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, raspberry vinegar and sea salt. Pour the dressing over the quinoa and veggies and toss.
Slice the avocado and drizzle with a little lemon juice. To serve the salad, fan about 6 slices of avocado on each plate and top with about a cup of the salad mixture. Sprinkle with toasted pumpkin seeds and freshly ground black pepper.
Variations:
- You can add some cooked beans like garbanzo, pinto beans or fresh edamame for an even higher protein dish.
- Other veggies of your choice can be used, such as carrot, fennel and shallot; or cucumber, red and yellow peppers and artichoke hearts.
- For nonvegans, add some crumbled feta cheese. For vegans, add marinated tofu cubes. Make a marinade from soy sauce, lemon juice and a little balsamic vinegar and marinate the cubes for at least an hour so they absorb the flavor. Then you can add as-is or bake in the marinade for about 15 minutes.
- In place of mint, you could use fresh dill, parsley, chervil, chives or spring onion.