Quinoa Salad

A refreshing summer grain salad with basil, pine nuts and olives

Considered a “superfood,” the South American seed, quinoa (which is widely accepted as a whole grain), has been around for thousands of years. Not only is it full of protein, fiber, and vital nutrients, it looks really cool with its little spirals. It only grows at an altitude—bonus for me, it grows here in Colorado! And it comes in different colors, which I love. There is a great article about Quinoa and its history here if you want to learn more.

This salad was a standard at my Lemon Sisters Market. If you can use fresh basil, it’s even better. This is typically the first recipe I make after planting basil in my garden for the summer.

Here’s a fun Claire cooking fact: I inherited a gene that runs in my family, that we often burn things on the stove because we walk away and start doing something else. So I learned to use a rice cooker many years ago and love that quinoa cooks in a rice cooker just fine. However you cook your quinoa, you do need to let it sit and cool down before you mix it in with the other ingredients, so it isn’t “mushy.”

Quinoa Salad

A refreshing summer grain salad with basil, pine nuts and olives.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 45 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr

Course Salad

Cuisine American

Servings 8 servings

Equipment

• 1 rice cooker or saucepan that will hold 6 cups
• knife and cutting board

Ingredients

  

• 1 1/2 cups quinoa, tricolors or white
• 3 cups water
• 1/3 cup pine nuts
• 1/3 cup green onions, sliced thin
• 1/2 cup kalamata olives, chopped
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1 TBLS dried basil OR 3 TBLS fresh basil, chopped
• 1/4 teas. salt
• 3 TBLS good green olive oil
• 1/4 cup capers (no juice)
• 1/4 cup finely chopped red bell pepper

Instructions

 

• Cook the quinoa: Rinse in a fine sieve before cooking.

  If you make it on the stove in a saucepan, add the quinoa and 2 TBLS olive oil to the pan. Heat on medium high. Stir it around until the quinoa is warm, add the water and cook for about 15 minutes, or until you see the little spirals, and the water is absorbed.

  If using a rice cooker, add the quinoa and water and turn it on.
• Mix all the other ingredients together. Let the quinoa cool down before adding it, at least 30 minutes.

  Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Keyword basil, GF, kalamata olives, pine nuts, quinoa, vegetarian