No matter how much we’ve been dreaming of summer all winter long, we somehow still find ourselves bowled over by the bounty of fresh vegetables once it arrives.
Here’s one recipe where you can throw in some of your favorite vegetables for a delightfully healthy dish.
One main ingredient is quinoa, which lends itself nicely to no-oil dressings because of its moist, glossy finish. When served with golden (white) quinoa, the colorful vegetables make a beautiful presentation for potlucks and group functions. This is also a delicious dish for brown-bagging and daily lunches. No matter how you serve it, this salad is a winner!
Yield: 10 (1 cup) servings
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Chill Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Recipe Ingredients
1½ cups quinoa
2½ cups water
1–1½ t. salt (to taste)
½ t. garlic powder
½ cup green onions, sliced ¼-inch thick
One 2-oz. can black olives, sliced
¾ cup red bell pepper, diced
¾ cup yellow bell pepper, diced
1 cup garbanzos, rinsed and drained
1½ cups English cucumber, diced small
6 T. lemon juice (or to taste), freshly squeezed
Prep Instructions
Put quinoa in a fine-mesh colander and rinse thoroughly under cold water. Drain well.
In a saucepan, combine water and rinsed quinoa; stir in garlic powder. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat. Simmer for 15 minutes or until water is absorbed. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, for five minutes. Fluff with a fork and set aside to cool.
Prepare vegetables and garbanzos while quinoa is cooking and cooling.
Sprinkle salt evenly over quinoa; add vegetables, garbanzos and lemon juice. Stir, folding carefully from all sides to blend salt and lemon completely. Taste and adjust as needed.
Chill for 30 minutes. Stir before serving.
Nutritional Data
Calories: 75.63
Fat: 1.99 g
Saturated Fat: 0.10 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Sodium: 370.49 mg
Carbohydrates: 12.45 g
Fiber: 2.37 g
Sugars: 1.56 g
Protein: 2.78 g
Recipe courtesy of Heather Leno and AdventHealth
