This is a light, delicious, and refreshing quinoa salad. It's the perfect combination of flavors for a lakeside picnic on a warm, sunny afternoon! I also remember this salad being equally perfect during an indoor picnic, next to a roaring fireplace, on a similar "spring" afternoon. It was a little less than year ago, and our former plans were disrupted by an unwelcome snowfall...Ahh, memories!
1 clove of garlic, peeled
2 1/2 to 3 cups cooked quinoa (package directions)
A handful of sweet grape tomatoes- yellow is low acid, and delicious
1 carrot, grated
4 scallions, sliced (white and light green sections)
1/4 cup Kalamata olives, whole or pitted and chopped
1/3 cup slivered nuts- pecans, almonds or walnuts
Sea salt and pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil leaves
1-2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint leaves
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Juice of 1-2 lemons or limes, depending upon size
Rub the clove of raw garlic inside a glass or ceramic salad bowl. While the cooked quinoa is still a bit warm (but not steaming hot) scoop it into a bowl and fluff with a fork. Halve or quarter the yellow tomatoes and add them to the bowl. Add in the grated carrot, sliced scallions, Kalamata olives, and slivered nuts. Toss lightly to combine. Season with sea salt and ground pepper. Add the chopped fresh herbs. Drizzle the salad with extra virgin olive oil- enough to moisten. Toss to distribute. Squeeze a lemon or a lime all over the salad and toss. Taste test (this is the fun part). Adjust seasonings. Does it need more olive oil? Salt? More citrus? Is there a good balance of quinoa and add-ins? When the seasoning tastes right, cover and chill until serving (at least one hour, but longer is better). Before serving, taste again and adjust seasonings if you need to. Chilling summer salads dulls the flavors a bit. Serve as a side dish. Makes roughly 4 to 6 servings.
Recipe courtesy of Karina Allrich.
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