International Quinoa Salad Recipe
February 17, 2010
My obsession with quinoa all started last summer in Chicago. BlogHer '09 had just come to a close, and I went out to lunch with ElisaC, who is vegan.
We headed to The Chicago Diner. (Meat Free since '83, hey ya!) Looking over the menu, I was beginning to feel a little clueless. I quizzed Elisa on ingredients: What is acai? What is seitan? What is quinoa? What is seitan, again? And pronouncing those ingredients! It was embarrassingly obvious that I had no idea what I was talking about. I finally settled on the Southwestern Tostadas, spread thick with mashed black beans and topped with quinoa and avocado. WOW, were they good. They were so good -- I liked the quinoa so much -- that I decided right then I had to make it again when I got back to Dallas. (You might notice that very dish - the Southwestern Tostadas - is on my menu for this month!)
And that's how we get to today's recipe from Fat Free Vegan: International Quinoa Salad. I took Susan's recipe and developed it into the Lazy Woman's Recipe, because that is what I am: a lazy cook. I like foods that taste good without too much fuss, not that Susan's recipe really looks like much work, but mine is even less. I cut out the chickpeas, and because I usually don't have them on hand I cut out the jalapeno and scallions. I've had lactation consultants warn me that parsley and mint reduce milk production (sage stops it entirely, FYI, though that's not in this recipe), so since I'm nursing right now I've removed those from the recipe. And I've also added back in the olive oil. I tripled the avocado. And I use chicken broth instead of vegetable broth, because that is what I usually have on hand.
This salad is ultra-flavorful and tangy (and a new favorite). I think you'll like it, too. (I would like to include a photo of the salad here instead of just the ingredients, but I took these pictures with my phone, and can we all agree that the iPhone was not made for food photography? So if you want to see what this salad looks like (believe me: you do), check out the images on Fat Free Vegan. They're drool-worthy.)
International Quinoa Salad, for The Lazy Cook
Quinoa:
1 1/2 cups quinoa, rinsed very well
3 cups water
1 clove or 1 tsp garlic, minced or pressed
1/2 tsp. sea salt
Vegetables:
1 large cucumber, peeled, seeded, and diced
2 medium-large tomatoes, finely chopped
1 cup cooked corn kernels
2 1/2 ripe avocados, peeled, pitted, and diced
1/2 ripe avocado, peeled, pitted and sliced
Dressing:
1/4 cup lime juice
3 tablespoons chicken broth (or vegetable broth, if that is what you have)
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste (optional)
1/8 teaspoon ground pepper
1 clove garlic, pressed or minced
QUINOA
Cooking quinoa is very simple - a lot like cooking rice. To cook it on the stove, bring the water to a boil and add in the quinoa, garlic and salt. Stir. Return to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and put a lid on the pot. Remove from heat after 20 minutes and allow to cool. Try not to eat it straight from the pot.
VEGETABLES
Combine all of the diced vegetables in a large bowl. Add the quinoa and mix gently. I usually add it straight from the pot, because I'm not only a lazy cook, I'm an impatient cook.
DRESSING
Stir the dressing ingredients together and pour over the salad. Mix well. Susan refrigerates hers until chilled, but I usually don't bother and serve it lukewarm-ish. If you want to be fancy, or to cover up the fact that you ate half the salad before serving it (oops!), garnish the top with avocado slices.
Maybe the best part about this salad - besides how delicious it is - is that it's very filling and really low in fat/calories. So you can pretty much eat as much as you want without feeling guilty. Which makes me The Lazy, Impatient and Indulgent Cook.
[If you're uncertain where to buy quinoa, I'd check your local Whole Foods-type store. I also just saw it in the bulk section of my neighborhood Kroger.]
Comments
I am glad you are blogging again! Perhaps this means that you are past the newborn stage and beginning to feel human again. Also, that salad does sound delicious - you should invite me over next time you cook it. ;)
Posted by: Erica | February 17, 2010 12:14 PM
Hey do you think it would be any good without the avocado? I love avocado but Christian gets sick from it. Hm. I might try it and let you know!
Posted by: Jenny B | February 17, 2010 02:58 PM