Quinoa Salad

Salads are so refreshing. If they include something more than just the greens, then it gets filling to. This Quinoa Salad is such a hit at our home. We first tried it as a tea time snack to get approval (we were just not sure if we would be ready to stand the trial version when hunger is at peak level i.e. during lunch or dinner). And it definitely was a success. Jacob even approved it to be packed in the lunch box for office. Else salad is always the last option that he would pick.

Usually we have the Nadan lunch at home. Rice with a vegetable side, either thoran or mezhukupuratti , a curry to pour over the rice and a non - veg curry. But there are days when I would need a change from the daily stuff and have chapati and curry, salad etc. This recipe comes handy then. I feel so good having this salad cause of the thought of it being healthy.

Try it and let me know if you and your family loved it. I love it and so does my family :).

Ingredients

1. 1/2 cup of quinoa
2. 1 cup of water to cook the quinoa
3. 1 cup of Avacado , diced
4. 1 cup of grape tomatoes, slit into half
5. 2 tbsp of cilantro leaves, chopped
6. 1 tbsp of oilve oil
7. 1 tsp of lime juice
8. Salt to taste
9. Pepper to taste

Method


Cooking of quinoa

• Wash/ rinse the quinoa with water. In a heavy bottom pan, take the rinsed quinoa, salt and water, to cook the quinoa. Bring it to a boil and then cover and simmer the heat to medium. Let it cook for another 12-15 minutes untill the grains become translucent. 
• Remove it from the heat and let it stand for another 5 minutes. Open the pan and fluff it with a fork. Let it cool down before you combine with the other ingredients of the salad.

Preparation of Quinoa Salad

• For the Salad dressing, take the olive oil. Add lime juice to it and mix it well. Now add salt and pepper and give it a stir. 
• Add the avacado, tomatoes and cilantro leaves to the cooked quinoa and pour the salad dressing on it. Give it a mix so that all the ingredients get evenly spread.

Tips

1. Do make sure that you wash/rinse the quinoa well. Else it might taste bitter.
2. You could add cucumber, cooked black beans and boiled corn to the salad.
3. You could make it fruity too. Just add some clementines/cuties, dried raspberries, pineapple etc. with a little bit of ranch as the dressing.