3 Quinoa Salads You’ll Love

Quinoa is one of the most complete grains you can find. To prepare salads, we can cook it in large quantities and reserve it in the refrigerator.

Quinoa is an ideal element for salads and has excellent nutritional properties, especially a high protein content. According to a publication in Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition , quinoa also provides fiber, vitamins and minerals. Therefore, we wanted to present you delicious quinoa salads, which will be ideal for any lunch or dinner.

For this type of salads with quinoa, we recommend that you wash the quinoa thoroughly before cooking it. In this way, you remove its usual natural bitter taste, due to the presence of saponin. On the other hand, you can cook the quinoa the night before and set it aside in an airtight container, as the seeds will hold together without a problem. Continue reading this article to discover our recipes!

Mediterranean quinoa salad

Consuming Mediterranean quinoa salad can supplement the daily diet in a healthy and balanced way. According to  research published in Advances in Food and Nutrition Research ,  quinoa is made up of up to about 15% protein and also provides an important balance of amino acids.

The  Mediterranean-style  mix feta cheese with tomato and basil. Common ingredients in this diet. Do you want to try it?

Ingredients

• 1 cup of uncooked quinoa (170 g)
• ½ tablespoon of salt (5 g)
• 1 cup diced, seedless cucumber (100 g)
• 1 cup of tomatoes, cut into cubes (100 g)
• Basil and oregano (according to your taste)
• 1 cup sliced ​​olives (155 g)
• Cup of crumbled feta (50 g)
• ¼ cup chopped red onion (35 g)

Preparation

• First, cook the quinoa in boiling water and salt.
• Meanwhile, combine the cucumber, drained tomatoes, olives, cheese and onion in a large bowl. Once the mixture is ready, set it aside.
• Divide the cooked quinoa in a medium baking dish. Then let the quinoa cool a bit in the refrigerator for about 5 minutes. Finally, add it to the vegetable mixture.
• To complete the recipe, stir thoroughly so that everything is combined. Finally, serve immediately if you want the salad to be lukewarm. Or leave it in the fridge for a few minutes if you prefer to eat it cold.

Corn and Carrot Quinoa Salad

The second of these quinoa salads will give more emphasis to the flavor of the vegetables, especially corn. It is even easier to prepare than the previous one, but just as delicious.

Ingredients

• ½ cup of uncooked quinoa (87 g)
• ¼ cup sweet corn (35 g)
• ¼ cup grated carrot (40 g)
• 12 cherry tomatoes
• 12 black olives
• 1 avocado
• Extra virgin olive oil (according to your taste)

Preparation

• First, wash the quinoa well before cooking it.
• Let it cook in plenty of boiling water for a few minutes. It will be ready when the seeds show whitish hoops. Then let cool slightly.
• Finally, add the quinoa with the carrot, corn, olives and avocado, and mix everything well. Season the whole with olive oil to taste.

Quinoa salad with asparagus and chicken

We can say that this recipe is ideal for obtaining a good amount of protein. In addition to those offered by quinoa, there are also those of chicken breast. According to  research published in Food & Nutrition Research , chicken is one of the white meats with the most nutritional benefits.

Ingredients

• 1 cup of uncooked quinoa (170)
• 50 grams of red cabbage
• 10 stalks of asparagus
• 1 carrot
• 1 chicken breast
• Salt (according to your taste)
• 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil (15 ml)
• 1 tablespoon of lemon juice (15 ml)
• ½ tablespoon of sesame seeds (5 g)
• Grapes (to garnish)

Preparation

• Start by preparing the different vegetables you will use for the salad, as well as the chicken breast and quinoa.
• Wash the asparagus stalks and cut them into discs. You should also wash and cut the cabbage into julienne. Peel the carrot and cut it into cubes.
• Then fill a saucepan with plenty of water, add a pinch of salt and bring to a boil. Add the chicken breast and cook for 20 minutes.
• Drain and let cool for a few minutes before mixing with two forks so as not to burn yourself.
• Then, while the chicken is cooking, boil 3 different saucepans with water. In one of them, cook the asparagus for 2 minutes, drain them and set aside. In another, the diced carrot for 4 minutes, drain and set aside. Finally, in the third, cook the quinoa until the white rings appear.
• Finally, prepare a vinaigrette made with extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice and salt. Mix the previous ingredients and add the dressing. Then decorate the salad according to your taste with fresh grapes.

Now that you know these easy alternatives for incorporating quinoa into a healthy diet, don’t hesitate to try our recipes. It won’t take you long and you will have a healthier and more nutritious diet!