This is a fabulous salad for any picnic or elegant evening dining outdoors. Although quinoa, generally, does not have a significant depth of flavor, with the addition of fresh seasonal vegetables, corn, black beans, avocado and a combination of both Apple Cider Vinegar and Balsamic Vinegar, this starter or main dish for a light lunch will impress any guest. The recipe below marks this salad as completely vegan, but it is so very easy to customize it with grilled chicken, a skewer of blackened prawns, or simply grilled salmon. One may also top it off with a sharp feta cheese to add a little bite. Essentially, this summer salad is a blank slate for creativity!
Ingredients
Salad:
2 cups dry quinoa (found either packaged or in the bulk foods section; feel free to use the color of preference), properly prepared by bringing it to a boil in 4 cups of cold water, uncovered, reduced to med-low, covered, for an additional 12-15 minutes (yields approximately 4 cups of cooked quinoa)
2 to 3 Roma tomatoes, seeded, diced
3/4 cup English cucumber, seeds removed, diced
1 can of corn, drained and rinsed
1 can of black beans, drained and rinsed
1/4 of red onion, chopped
6 spears of asparagus, quickly blanched and chopped into 3/4"-1" strips
1 to 1 ratio of Apple Cider Vinegar and Balsamic Vinegar dressing to taste
Salt and pepper to taste
Garnishes:
2-3 avocados, sliced
Fresh mint or cilantro
Spinach (optional)
Preparation
Combine all of the salad ingredients and mix well. Arrange the sliced avocado and either chopped or a sprig of fresh mint or cilantro to garnish. I tend to favor mint, as it adds an additional level of fresh flavor, and it grows like a weed in my yard. I list spinach, as I love this salad served over a small bed of spinach, especially if you are serving it as a main course. Fantastic with a light white wine!
Serves: 8 to 10 sides or starter salads, or 4 to 6 entree salads.
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