A Delightfully Quinoa Day!

It’s always been a delight to bring you another exquisite plant-based creation with this high protein, iron and fiber Quinoa Tabbouleh, that is not only versatile but also tastes fantastic with a crunchy kick to it!  Quinoa is by far one of my absolute all time favorite grains.  About the size of pellets of couscous, quinoa cooks in only about 15-20 minutes, ideal for a quick super food on-the-go type of meal!

The toasted flavor and the faintly chewy consistency make it so good on its own or in an easy to prep salad like this one! Just a helpful tip when cooking quinoa- you got to give it a good rinse before cooking or else the grains can be bitter.  Allow me to flashback the health benefits of this amazing grain from one of my #meatlessmonday recipes:

It is such a pleasure to create this lovely meal with all the healthy and flavorful elements it provides- herby, lemony, tomato-infused salad, just the thing for an anytime any day indulgence! Your eyes will feast on the colorful serving while your palette will party about its yumminess!

Without further adieu…

Quinoa Tabbouleh

Ingredients:

1 ½ cups quinoa

4 radishes, thinly sliced

¾ cup lemon juice

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 cups diced tomatoes, or quartered cherry tomatoes

½ cup parsley, chopped

1 unpeeled Persian cucumbers, diced

2 tablespoon red onion, diced

2-tablespoon fresh mint leaves, chopped

sea salt to taste

black pepper to taste

Instructions:

1.  Rinse quinoa with cool water. Drain.

2.  Heat large skillet over medium heat.  Add quinoa and toast 10 minutes or until moisture evaporates and quinoa is fragrant and golden, stirring constantly.

3.  Bring 2 cups of water to boil in saucepan.  Add salt then add quinoa.  Return to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover pan and simmer for 15 minutes or until quinoa is tender and liquid is absorbed.  Fluff quinoa with a fork, and transfer to a large bowl to cool.

4.  Whisk together lemon juice, garlic, pepper and salt in bowl.

5.  Stir tomatoes, parsley, cucumbers, onions, mint and radishes into cooled quinoa.  Pour dressing over top, and toss to coat.

6.  Serve and enjoy! Or refrigerate until salad is cold then serve.

Question: Have you ever tried creating a quinoa recipe before? What other delicious and healthy ingredients can you add?  I’d love to hear your feedback and personal kitchen stories in the comment section below!

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