Fresh Quinoa Salad

Want a healthy, flavorful and vibrant dish perfect for lunch in the office or a side dish to dinner? Look no further my friends, I have just the recipe. This quinoa salad is tossed with a zesty lime dressing and loaded with fresh veggies. It's a dish you can feel great about eating and it's super simple. I've made a number of different quinoa salad recipes and I really liked how bright and healthy this one is. You can add more cumin and red pepper to spice it up if that's what you're lookin' for, as well.

I prefer to add more veggies than most quinoa salad recipes to lighten it up a bit. It's a delightful taste of summer in these occasionally dreary Winter (if you call this weather Winter) days, and a great energy boost to get you through the day.

I love having something in the fridge that I know is really easy to pack up for lunch. Sometimes you just don't have the time to make a sandwich or pack up leftovers and that's when you end up spending unnecessary $$ on lunch. I gotta save up for my Costa Rica trip in April here!

Change it up with whatever veggies/nuts you have on hand. You can even get super crazy and add chunks of cheddar, goat cheese or feta.




Fresh Quinoa Salad

Ingredients:
1 cup uncooked quinoa
1 chicken bouillon cube
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
2 large carrots, peeled and grated or sliced thin
1 English cucumber (or 2 smaller ones), seeded and chopped
1/3 cup chopped green onions
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1/2 cup chopped cashews
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1 tsp fish sauce
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp sugar
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper


Directions:

• Heat 2 tsp oil in small pot on medium heat. Add quinoa, stir, and allow to toast for just about a minute - it will be slightly fragrant and that's when you know it's ready. Add in 2 cups of water and the bouillon cube and cook to package directions. Set aside to cool.
• Whisk together lime juice, fish sauce, oil, sugar, cumin, red pepper, salt and pepper. 
• Toss all ingredients together and alter seasonings if necessary.