Quinoa, Edamame and Feta Salad

In honor of the Easter bunny, I decided to write up a recipe that some of my relatives in Texas might consider rabbit food: Quinoa Salad. Quinoa is a whole grain that looks like cous cous with a tiny mohawk, and is better for you than rice or other starches. Its is high in protein, amino acids and other nutrients, is a great source of fiber and – bonus! – it actually tastes good. Quinoa used to be  accessible only to patchouli-wearing wannabe hippies and the brave souls that grocery shop at the health food store, but these days quinoa is as easy to find as a Toyota Prius on Highway 101 — its everywhere.

Okay, enough about its nutritional benefits and my distaste for faux hippies, here is a quick quinoa salad that is light and delicious.

Happy Easter everyone!

Quinoa Salad with Edamame, Feta and Green Onions

Serves: 6-8 as a side salad. Tightly covered, it keeps in the fridge for days.

Meaty Monitor: Full of protien, so actually pretty filling for lunch. But, I usually serve this as a side salad with fish or grilled chicken.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups dry quinoa
• 4 cups of vegetable broth or low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 1/2 cups of shelled, cooked edamame beans (Trader Joes sells these ready to eat)
• 3/4 cup of fat-free or redueced-fat feta cheese
• 1 cup of chopped green onions
• 1 handful of flat leaf italian parsley, chopped until fine
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup of red wine vinegar or champagne vinegar
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1 small shallot, diced finely

Directions:

• Place quinoa in a bowl, cover with cold water and soak for 15-20 minutes. Then strain through a fine mesh strainer and rinse under cold water for 1 minute. Shake off the excess water and place quinoa in a large pot with a fitted lid.
• Add broth to pot and cook uncovered on high until boiling. Once it boils, reduce to a simmer, cover, and let quinoa cook for 10-12 minutes, until the liquid has been absorbed and the quinoa is al-dente. Remove from the flame, uncover, fluff with a fork and let cool.
• Finely dice one small shallot and place in a small mixing bowl. Add red wine vinegar, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Whisk in the olive oil to make the dressing. Set aside.
• After its cooled off a bit, put the quinoa in a large mixing bowl. Toss in edamame beans, chopped green onion, parsley and feta cheese. Add in dressing and toss until combined.
• Quinoa is very absorbent so you may need to add more olive oil and vinegar to suit your tastes. Season to taste with salt and pepper as the final step.

This salad is light and summery, and you could sub in any vegis or beans that you like. I also like a dash of hot sauce on mine for kick. If you have a favorite salad that uses quinoa, please share.

Enjoy!

- Hill