Quinoa Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette

 Is one of your new year's resolutions about eating better? Yeah, me too. In fact, I have a whole list of food resolutions: eating more vegetables every day, particularly leafy greens; eating whole grains; taking my lunch to work every day; and generally being more disciplined about how I eat.

In fact let me sum up my resolutions for you: Everything I've been doing, I am going to stop doing. Everything I haven't been doing, I'm going to start doing.

I'm joking! Kind of.

This salad covers much of my list. It's full of healthy vegetables like watercress, it's made with a whole grain -- OK, it's actually a seed but for my purposes we'll call it a whole grain --, and it makes a good lunch. In fact, I've had it for lunch the last two days and plan on having it for lunch again today.

It's been some time -- like years -- since the one and only time I tried quinoa previously. It wasn't a good experience and I can't remember specifics other than the fact it tasted so bad it killed any desire I had to eat it again. But based on information I've read since, I realize that I didn't adequately rinse the quinoa. It wasn't the quinoa, it was me. Quinoa is coated with a bitter substance called saponin which must be rinsed off before cooking the quinoa.

But at the time of my first quinoa foray quinoa knowledge wasn't as widely distributed as it is now.  In fact, at the time I was under the impression that the pronunciation was quin-OH-a or something of the sort. Who would have guessed that a word spelled q-u-i-n-o-a would be pronounced KEEN-wah? Not me. But I've sinced learned. The miracles of the internet.

Another development of the intervening years: prewashed quinoa is now available. In fact, based on my reading, it seems as if much quinoa is sold already washed. The exception seems to be quinoa sold in the bulk bins. If you have any doubts though, rinse your quinoa repeatedly to make sure you've gotten rid of the coating.

Quinoa has a mild, slightly nutty taste and makes a good backdrop to stronger flavors such as the sharpness of the watercress here. This salad held up well for the second day. Just make sure it comes to room temperature before you eat it. You might also want to refresh it with a little additional vinaigrette. This is also the sort of thing that can be varied endlessly. I'm thinking that the next time I make it I will use mango in place of the radishes and use a lime vinaigrette.

Quinoa Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette

Adapted from the excellent Raising the Salad Bar which is my new favorite full-of-healthy-recipes book.

1 cup quinoa, rinsed
Kosher salt
1 bunch watercress, roughly chopped
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, and diced
1 large carrot, peeled and cut into matchsticks
5 radishes, halved from top to bottom then sliced as thinly as possible
1 red pepper, diced
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup olive oil

1. Add quinoa, 1/4 tsp salt, and 1 1/2 cups water  to a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover pan and cook for 13 to 15 minutes, until water is absorbed. Turn off the heat and let the quinoa sit until it has cooled completely.

2. In a small bowl, stir 1/4 tsp kosher salt into 1/4 cup lemon juice. Slowly whisk in 1/3 cup olive oil.

3. Put the watercress, cucumber, carrot, radishes, and pepper in a large bowl. Salt them lightly. Add quinoa to bowl, then toss lightly with vinaigrette. Taste and adjust seasonings. Serve.

Comments

[Elizabeth]

That dish is beautiful. I've never tried quinoa, but that recipe with mango and lime sounds amazing!

Heres to flip flopping around our lifestyles!

[Jackie]

I'm sitting here eating my quinoa salad for lunch and reading foodgawker, and what is the second picture on the top row? Why, that looks a lot like my lunch! Quinoa is my new favorite grain, and I made a salad very similar to your recipe -- my veggies include peppers, celery, mushrooms, carrots and broccoli. I add the broccoli right after the quinoa has cooks, so it steams it a little, then add the rest later. I have also included feta in it today, over a bed of spinach. I agree, it makes a great, lunch, and this is my 4th day in a row of eating it. Hurray for quinoa!

[Charmian Christie]

I, too, am trying to eat healthier foods. I have quinoa in the cupboard and wasn't sure what to do with it. Think I'll give this a try.

[Peter]

This is a stunning dish...you make quinoa look like it should be eaten daily!

[Olga]

This looks like a great salad. It would be perfect for summer picnics.

I've only recently tried quinoa, but really enjoy it both cold and hot. My sister told me that one of her chefs at the CIA made a breakfast dish with quinoa, sugar and milk.

[Anne]

We have the same resolutions! Imagine that. Your salad looks so lovely and bright. Sounds good too.

[Lydia (The Perfect Pantry)]

Quinoa is so adaptable. I'm fairly new to it, but I've been having a wonderful time trying it with all sorts of flavorings. It also works very well with Asian (soy sauce, garlic and ginger). Lovely photos -- makes healthy look so delicious.

[MsCellania]

Wow.
Yummy looking AND nutritious; I printed this out and will make it. I've had quinoa in the pantry for awhile - now's the time!
Thanks.

[Heidi]

McCellania's comment on Miz S's blog sent me scurrying over here. Not only does the recipe sounds delicious, but your photography is over-the-top gorgeous. Okay, adding quinoa to my list...

[Scott at Realepicurean]

I've never cooked using quinoa - I wonder why. I'm sure this is delicious!

[kerewin]

That picture is beautiful and it looks delicious!

A fun twist is quinoa tabbouleh. Which is cooked quinoa tossed in a lot of lemon juice, olive oil, sea salt, cracked black pepper, green onions, carrots, cucumber, tomatoes and fresh chopped cilantro.

For parties I sometimes makes that as an appetizer and then spoon it into romaine spears. The perfect finger food AND a whole protein to match!

[Hayley]

This salad sounds so delicious. I’m having a Meyer lemon week over at my blog, and was hoping to finish it off with a round-up of Meyer (or regular) lemon recipes around the web. I would love to post a link to this recipe if that would be alright with you. The round-up won’t be posted for another week or so, so let me know what you think. Thanks Again!

[Sophie]

Who says healthy food can't look nice?
Your salad looks delicious and I imagine full of texture too.

I've been having quinoa as porridge instead of savoury recipes recently for a change.

Will check out that salad bar book which also sounds intriguing

[adele]

I'm still a little wary of quinoa (blame the year I spent in a vegetarian co-op), but this salad looks delicious. I might have to pick up a package of quinoa the next time I'm at Trader Joe's and give it a shot.

[Catlin Humes]

This looks so good. I may just have to try it out soon.

[Spinach Tiger]

THe salad looks yummy. I am just now experimenting with quinoa. It's such a nutritious food.

[Mimi]

Yes, I am trying to eat better. I am trying to find time.

This does look good. I am also a bit wary of quinoa. But I have some in the cupboard...

[Julie]

Elizabeth, thanks! And I may flip my bad habits (at least a little) yet.

Jackie, your quinoa sounds great. I'll have to try it.

Charmian, hope you enjoyed it.

Peter, thanks! I'm trying to convince myself that it should be eaten daily.

Olga, I've heard about using it as a breakfast cereal but haven't tried it myself. I'll have to experiment.

Anne, it's a simple resolution, right? Shouldn't be TOO hard to keep at all.

Lydia, I can see that it would take Asian flavorings well. Good idea.

MsCellenia, I hope you like it.

Heidi, thanks!

Scott, I'm constantly looking at things people post on their blog and thinking, "Why do I never make ....? " Fill in the blank. As varied as I think my diet is, it's not really that varied at all.

Kerewin, those are both good ideas! Thanks.

Hayley, ack! I missed your deadline. Sorry. But I'll be sure to check out your roundup.

Sophie, using quinoa as a porridge is what I have to try next.

Adele, I'm suddenly picturing your vegetarian co-op members in their earnest Jesus-sandals solemnly eating their quinoa.

Catlin, I recommend it!

Spinach Tiger, it is nutritious and that's one of the reasons I wanted to become acquainted with quinoa.

Mimi, finding the time is definitely part of eating better. I struggle with that too.

[john]

Thanks for the recipe. Sounds terrific!

A little recommendation, I found these to be so delicious and useful in my kitchen: http://bajoseasonedsalts.com/

Cheers.

John

[Heidi]

To intensify the nutty taste, toast the seeds before rinsing them. Wow!

[Emlyn]

Thank you so much for the tip on rinsing the Quinoa!! I've always WANTED to like quinoa but it was tough going. I'm going to try this out this weekend! Am also a fellow B'more blogger and (recently) former Bolton Hill resident! Love your blog!

[Bianca]

I love that book as well. Heck, it was worth it just for this salad recipe!! I adore this quinoa salad. I also toast the seeds before rinsing, decrease the olive oil to 1/4 cup and I toss in the zest from the lemon to increase zing and nutrition. Yum, yum. This salad works equally well with Mache, which is cheaper and easier to find organic than Watercress. Baby greens are good, too, but only if you serve all of the salad right away and this recipe actually makes quite a bit.

[Bianca]

One more thing.... after toasting and rinsing, cook the quinoa in veggie or chicken stock instead of plain water. It really kicks this recipe into high gear. And I've also used jarred roasted red peppers in this and it is gooooood.

Ok. I'm done now.

[boston thai food]

Such a substantial and useful kitchen book!