Recipe of the Week: International Quinoa Salad

September 17, 2010 3:38 am

 

A Nutritional Post-Yoga Snack Courtesy of Fat-Free Vegan Kitchen:

We are always on the look out for great nutritional recipes! We decided that it would be a great idea to share some inventive ideas from the people who know it best—food bloggers! Nobody tackles vegan snacks like SusanV from Fat-Free Vegan Kitchen at http://blog.fatfreevegan.com/. Her recipe index is impressive and she is always hard at work maintaining her low-calorie-no-dairy-no-egg-no-meat standard.

Nothing screams oh-so-fresh like a vegetable rich quinoa salad. She deems the “International Quinoa Salad” (that her husband can’t get enough of) a “favourite quinoa dish.” Pack it up in tupperware for a great, satisfying, protein-rich (9.1g per serving!) post-yoga snack:

Quinoa:

1 1/2 cups quinoa, rinsed very well
2 1/4 cups water
1 clove garlic, minced or pressed
1/2 tsp. salt (optional)

Vegetables:

1 large cucumber, peeled, seeded, and diced
2 medium-large tomatoes, finely chopped
kernels of 2 ears of cooked corn (about 1 cup)
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and diced
1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas
1/2 cup scallions, thinly sliced
2/3 cup parsley — minced
1/3 cup fresh mint — minced
1 ripe avocado, peeled, pitted, and diced (reserve a few slices for garnish)

Dressing:

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice (NOT lemon)
3 tablespoons vegetable broth or bean cooking liquid
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste (optional)
1/8 teaspoon ground pepper
1 clove garlic, pressed or minced
1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon chipotle chili pepper

To cook the quinoa in a pressure cooker, place it and the water, garlic, and salt in the cooker and lock the lid. Over high heat, bring to high pressure and cook for one minute. Remove from heat and allow the pressure to come down naturally. Fluff the quinoa and allow it to cool.

Combine all of the vegetables in a large bowl. Add the quinoa and mix well. Whisk the dressing ingredients together and pour over the salad. Mix well and refrigerate until chilled. Taste before serving, and add more lime juice as necessary (you want it to be tangy). Garnish with avocado slices and serve. Makes about 8 servings.

Nutrition (per serving): 239 calories, 55 calories from fat, 6.4g total fat, 0mg cholesterol, 366.2mg sodium, 627.7mg potassium, 38.8g carbohydrates, 7.7g fiber, 4g sugar, 9.1g protein, 4.5 points.

You can view SusanV’s Fat Free Vegan Kitchen here.

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