Vegan Quinoa Salad: I have not been able to keep track of healthful eating since August. It all started with my eldest son's birthday and from then on I have been slipping for some reason or the other.
I didn't make soups and salads as often as I used to do before. Three months of "not-so-clean" eating definitely has its negative effects and it clearly shows on the scale and in other "areas" too. If you know what I mean!
I realized that it's high time that I got back to my conscious eating schedule for good. The first thing which came to my mind was the quinoa which was sitting in my pantry untouched for quite a long time. The fridge was stocked up well with a lot of fresh vegetables. So I put together this colorful vegan quinoa salad for lunch yesterday.
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Recipe
Vegan Quinoa Salad
Ingredients
Ingredients for Salad:
- 3 cups quinoa cooked
- 1 and ½ cups corn
- 1 cup chickpeas cooked
- ½ cup black olives sliced, coarsely chopped
- ½ cup zucchini diced
- ½ cup cilantro finely chopped
- 1 medium size tomato finely chopped
- 1 medium size red onion finely chopped
- 1 medium size carrot grated
Ingredients for the Dressing:
- ¼ cup olive oil extra-virgin
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 1 count garlic clove finely minced
- ¼ teaspoon red chili powder
- As needed salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a large bowl, toss together the salad ingredients.
- Measure the oil in a measuring cup and add the rest of the dressing ingredients to it and whisk it well.
- Pour the dressing over the salad and combine well. Serve immediately or refrigerate for at least 30 minutes for the flavors to develop.
My Notes
- I used ¾th cup of dry quinoa. Rinse it a couple of times to get rid of the nutty flavor. Cook it 1 and ½ cups boiling water. Add a pinch of salt and little olive oil while the quinoa is cooking. Close the lid and cook it at medium heat for 15 minutes. After about 13 minutes remove the lid and let the remaining water evaporate. Rinse the cooked quiona under running tap water and drain it in a colander. This will ensure that the grain does not become sticky. Cool down the drained quinoa by spreading it on a large plate.
- The measurements for the vegetables used can be increased or decreased to suit your taste and what's available in your fridge.
- Fresh or frozen corn kennels can be used. I cooked frozen corn for about 2 minutes in the microwave oven and mixed it with rest of the ingredients.
- You can use any herb instead of cilantro. Basil, parsley, mint are very good substitutes.
- I chopped the sliced olives because I wanted to have the olive taste and flavor throughout the salad.
Spandana says
Looks really good. Healthy and Delicious, a perfect combination 🙂
Priya says
Definitely a satisfying salad, super nutritious.