QUINOA VEGGIE SALAD
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 cup organic Quinoa
- 1 small cucumber1 tomato
- 1 small colored bell pepper
- 1 medium red onion
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon black pepper powder
- A handful of fresh mint leaves
- Salt to taste
METHOD
1. Place 1 cup quinoa in a fine-mesh strainer and rinse thoroughly under cold running water to remove the bitterness. Drain and keep aside. Heat 2 cups of water in a saucepan. ( Ratio is 2 cup water to 1 cup raw quinoa) Add drained quinoa to it with a dash of salt and bring to a rolling boil.
2. Reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook for about 10-12 minutes or until the quinoa turns tender and all the water gets absorbed. Let the saucepan remain covered for 5 minutes after putting off the flame.
3. On cooking the quinoa turns slightly translucent and we can see tiny spirals/germ ( appear like small tails) coming out from the quinoa seed. Fluff it gently with a fork and allow it to cool down at room temperature.
4. While quinoa is getting cooked, chop the veggies. Wash and peel the cucumber. Discard seeds and chop them into dice. Finely chop the red onion. Also, discard the seeds of tomato and bell pepper and dice them.
5. To a mixing bowl add the cooked quinoa and chopped veggies.
6. Throw in fresh mint leaves and squeeze out the lemon juice. Season with black pepper powder and little salt and toss.
7. Delicious healthy and refreshing quinoa summer salad is ready to serve. You can allow the salad to sit in the refrigerator for a couple of hours before serving.
Notes:
1. You can use vegetable broth to cook the quinoa instead of water to add to the nutrition.
2. Sweet corn, pomegranate seeds, cherry tomatoes, beans, sprouts can be used in this salad for variation and taste. Options are endless and the recipe adapts well with any combination of fruits and veggies.
3. Olive oil can be drizzled in this salad.
