Quinoa “Salad”

About a month ago, I shared a photo of a quinoa “salad” (is it really a salad, though? I’m using those quotation marks loosely here…) on Instagram that I was enjoying for lunch and we received several requests for the recipe. It originated as something I kind of just threw together, but I’ve measured the ingredients out and I’m happy to share it with you today!

I make a big batch of this quinoa on Sundays and portion it out to eat throughout the week. You can kick it up and make it more filling with chicken or another protein of your choice (beans? tofu? steak?). I like keeping it vegetarian. This dish also works as a great side to serve at dinner.

One secret trick (which I suppose now is… not so… secret) is to add soy sauce to your boiling water. It really amps up the flavor of the quinoa as it absorbs the water. Some people like cooking quinoa in chicken stock. That would probably work okay, but we don’t always have chicken stock on hand. We always have soy. Let us know if you try that route.

The recipe couldn’t be more simple. Combine all the ingredients, and enjoy. Hopefully you’ll look forward to your lunches throughout the week as much as I do!

Quinoa “Salad”

Ingredients:

1 cup quinoa

2 cups water

1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce

1 cup diced cucumber (we like mini cucumbers)

1 cup quartered cherry tomatoes

1/2 cup unsalted dry toasted almond slivers (we like Trader Joe’s brand)

1 cup (4 oz.) crumbled feta

1 tablespoon Everything But the Bagel seasoning from Trader Joe’s

2 tablespoons olive oil

Preparation:

Add quinoa to a small pot along with the water and soy sauce. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cover with a lid. Simmer until all liquid is gone, about 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and fluff quinoa with a fork. Cool completely.

In a large bowl, add the cooled quinoa, cucumber, tomatoes, almond slivers, feta, and Everything But the Bagel seasoning. Stir gently to combine. Drizzle olive oil over the mixture and continue to combine.

Portion and top with additional seasoning, if desired. Store in refrigerator and serve chilled. Optional: Prior to serving, top with avocado, roasted chicken, or hard-boiled eggs.

Makes 4-5 lunch-sized portions.