I have to be honest, when I first tried quinoa I hated it! I really did until my mother made a quinoa salad once for dinner and I surprisingly I found it delicious. My mother’s version is healthy but not healthy enough for me to reach my health and fitness goals so I came up with my own version of a quinoa salad and swapped some ingredients with healthier choices. It’s very simple, using delicious fresh ingredients.
Delicious Quinoa Salad
All you need is:
- 1 cup quinoa (rinsed)
- 1 cup (or more if you like) kale
- 1/4 cup goji berries
- 1/4 cup raw pumpkin seeds
- 2 ounces of goat cheese
- 1/2-1 cup of shredded carrots
- 1/2 red onion
- About 1/4 cup of unpasteurized apple cider vinegar
- About 1/4 cup of olive oil
- Salt and pepper
Directions
- Bring 2 cups of water to a boil
- Add rinsed quinoa
- Bring back to a boil then lower heat to a simmer and cover pot
- Let it cook for about 15 minutes
- Turn off heat and leave covered for a few minutes until the quinoa absorbed most of the water
- Let it cool
- Once cooled (it could be a little warm so the goat cheese can melt) add the rest of the ingredients and mix
- Season to taste
- You can serve it right away but I prefer to let all the flavours marry and the goji berries to plump up
- The goat cheese adds such creaminess and the pumpkin seeds add that delicious crunch
This recipe makes about four 1 cup servings but trust me, if you didn’t like quinoa before tasting this salad, you won’t want to share it! 🙂
Tania
