Continuing with my summer-long attempts to incorporate more protein into my diet and create more healthy side dishes, I think I have now perfected a wonderful Quinoa, Feta and Scallion summer salad recipe. This dish was inspired by a Food.com recipe for Quinoa, Feta, and Spinach salad that we tried at an early summer get-together and that my husband declared made him a quinoa convert.
We subsequently tried making this salad a few different ways, tailored to our personal tastes. This ultimately meant simplifying the salad by removing the spinach and instead increasing the amount of other seasonings, e.g., the red wine vinegar, olive oil, and cucumber. This could not be easier to make as you can chop the vegetables and measure out the seasonings while the quinoa is cooking, and then just toss everything together. It's a great base for make-ahead work lunches as well. Can't wait to continue making this salad again and again!
Quinoa, Feta and Scallion Salad
Ingredients
- 1 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained
- 2.5 – 3 tbsp. olive oil (to taste)
- 2.5 – 3 tbsp. red wine vinegar (to taste)
- 1 – 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
- 4 – 5 oz. feta (to taste)
- 1 small cucumber, diced (preferably Israeli cucumber)
- 4 – 5 scallions, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp. fresh parsley, minced (optional)
- salt and ground black pepper (to taste)
Directions
- Bring quinoa to a boil with 2 cups water on medium-high heat. When boiling, reduce heat to a low simmer, cover and cook until quinoa is tender.
- While quinoa is cooking, mix together olive oil, red wine vinegar, garlic and cumin in small bowl. Chop the vegetables, and cut the feta into small pieces.
- Add to quinoa after it is cooked, and then stir in other ingredients.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste, and then serve immediately or refrigerate until serving.
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