Quinoa Salad

Quinoa is a grain that I came to know about only recently.  Maybe 5 -6 years ago, a friend of mine introduced me to it and I was hooked.  It had a great texture and is a wonderful substitute for rice.  It also has a higher protein content than most grains that I use in my everyday cooking.  I have been using quinoa in a variety of ways – quinoa idlis, burgers, salad, pulav, and upma.  It is also a great addition to soups.

Quinoa Salad

I love quinoa salad.  It is so easy to make and is always delicious.  It is a great dish to take to potlucks or picnics.  People ask me for the recipe all the time.

Here is what you need:

• 1 cup quinoa (see note)
• 2 cups corn
• 1 cup grated carrot
• 1 red bell pepper chopped
• 1/8 cup olive oil
• juice of 1 lemon
• 2 tsp. chili powder
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• 1 tsp. coriander powder
• freshly ground pepper
• salt to taste
• ½ bunch chopped cilantro

 

Here is how I make it:

1. In a saucepan, add quinoa and 2 cups water.  Bring it to a boil, reduce heat to low and cook covered, till you see the rings forming on the grain (about 10 – 15 minutes)
2. Let quinoa cool for a bit.
3. In the meantime, steam the corn – you can do this in the microwave for about 5 minutes.
4. Now, in a serving bowl, combine all the ingredients.  Taste and adjust seasoning.

That’s it!  Delicious, healthy, quinoa salad is ready!

Note:  I used the white quinoa this time. You can combine white and red quinoa.  This gives a wonderful color and adds texture to the salad.

You can also add baby spinach, broccoli, black beans, sprouts, dried cranberries etc. to the salad.