This quinoa salad recipe is quick, easy, healthy & delicious, and my pants are not even on fire.

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The first time I made this quinoa salad, I didn’t even know how to pronounce it… I called it “kwin-oh-ah”.

(It’s pronounced keen-wha, if you didn’t know. I’ll save you the embarrassment.)

This quinoa salad recipe has lots of fresh ingredients and one simmered ingredient, which is why I tried it in the first place…

Because we lived outside

You see, at that time, we were living in a borrowed camper (with an orphaned lamb) while we built our house. But this was no fancy camper friends, so cooking took place in the “outside kitchen”, which primarily revolved around a propane cooker and a folding table.

So needless to say, meals were strait to the point. Feed the people.

Besides, I thought, it’s healthy and fairly cheap. I would just have to be decidedly optimistic about the taste.

My husband was not so optimistic. He’s a beef and potatoes man. And he was hot and dirty and hungry.

Anyway, I wouldn’t use the word “unkind” to describe his reception of the vegetarian lunch I handed him, but I might use words like “quietly fuming with indignation“.

And then he had to humble himself a week later when he asked me to “please make it again.”

And in a moment of marital glory, being a crown to his head and all, I seared up a slab of steak, sliced it and laid it on top of a mound of quinoa salad, all spilling out of a warm naan bread. And we lived happily ever after.

It was the beginning of an era, the quinoa flatbread & steak era.

I made it weekly and packed it for him in his electric lunchbox for I do not know how long. I still make it for dinner when the mood strikes. Our friends even request this meal when they come for dinner. All that to say, it’s really dang good.

Toast. Simmer. Chop. Stir.

Here I’m using onion, bell pepper, parsley, cilantro, lemon, olive oil, garlic cloves, apple cider vinegar besides salt and pepper. Olives, tomatoes and feta cheese are also amazing in this salad. (My kids call feta “dusty cheese” but I happen to like it.) I prefer it all finely chopped.

Cooking quinoa is as easy as cooking rice, very straight forward. I have recently been toasting the raw quinoa in a little olive oil in the hot pot for a few minutes before adding the water to boil it, which adds a nice roasted flavor.

Once your quinoa has cooled down a bit, just combine all of the ingredients and toss them. The mixing bowl of the standing mixer does great for this job.

Make it a “whole thing”

We all agree that there is something wonderful about this quinoa salad on a warm, soft sourdough naan or flatbread, especially if you add sliced avocado and some juicy, sliced steak. And boy does a *real sugar glass bottle* Mexican Coke-a-cola make for a happy time!

This meal is also a great way to make one or two steaks stretch further when you have mouths to feed.

I use Vindi’s sourdough flatbread recipe from MyLoveofBaking, although I use freshly milled hard red and hard white wheat in place of conventional flour. Vindi does an awesome job of explaining the process and all of her breads look amazing!

Perfect for prepping weekday lunches

Make a batch of this quinoa salad at the beginning of the week and you’ll have the perfect base for your lunches. It’s good served warm or cold. Mix it up and make it work for you… enjoy it with a boiled egg, a few mozzarella balls, an avocado or with grilled chicken and hummus in a wrap!

Did you know…

Quinoa, though now grown all over the world, is originally from the Andes in South America and was vitally important to people there for millennia. There are untold varieties, but we only see a few in our grocery stores. I’ve tried all that I’ve seen and they’re all good. It’s considered to be a complete source of protein, meaning it has all nine essential amino acids that the body cannot produce on its own.

But just to be safe, add steak and everyone is happy!

Quinoa Salad

Recipe by Courtney

Prep time

minutes

Cooking time

minutes

This quinoa salad has become a favorite at lunchtime around here. It’s quick, easy, inexpensive, healthy and most importantly, it’s so good! Make a batch and keep it in the fridge for an instant wholesome snack. Served warm on soft naan or flatbread with avocado, a few mozzarella balls and some juicy, sliced steak it’s just plain happiness!

Ingredients

1 cup quinoa
2 cups water
1 bell pepper
1 small onion or 1/2 of a large onion
1 bunch of parsley
1 bunch of cilantro
1 roma tomato – optional
8 oz feta cheese – optional
1/4 cup olives – optional
olive oil
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
juice and zest of 1 lemon
2 tsp salt + ½ tsp black pepper – or to taste

Directions

Set a pot on medium heat and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 1 cup of raw quinoa. Allow it to toast for a few minutes, stirring often.
When the quinoa begins to look and smell slightly roasted, add in two cups of water. Allow it to regain a boil and continue to cook according to directions on package.
While the quinoa is simmering, finely dice all of the ingredients you’d like to include: 1 bell pepper, 1/2 or 1 whole onion, 1 bunch of cilantro, 1 bunch of parsley, a roma tomato (or cherry tomatoes quartered), olives, 8 oz crumbled feta cheese, the juice and zest of 1 lemon, 2+ tablespoons of olive oil, 2+ tbsp of vinegar and salt and pepper to taste.
When the quinoa has finished cooking and cooled to a warm (but no longer steaming) temp, it should be fluffy and tender. Combine all ingredients. Add more oil, vinegar, salt or pepper to taste.
Enjoy this salad in a bowl alone or topped with sliced avocado (a great gluten free, vegan snack), or on warm flatbread, with steak and avocado slices, or in a wrap with a green salad and grilled chicken. Mozzarella balls are a great addition as well.

Surprisingly Good Quinoa Salad