Description
This Herbed Quinoa Garden Veggie Salad is tossed with a lemon herb vinaigrette – so fresh and perfect for summer potlucks or patio dinners.
Ingredients
Scale
For the dressing
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 3 tablespoons warm water
- 1 or 2 large cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 teaspoon agave nectar
- juice of one lemon
- salt and pepper to taste (I started with 1/4 teaspoon salt)
- a handful of parsley leaves
For the salad
- 1 cup quinoa, rinsed
- 8 leaves romaine lettuce
- 3 large carrots, peeled
- 1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
- 3/4 cup chopped herbs of choice (see notes)
- Parmesan cheese for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Puree the dressing ingredients in a food processor until smooth. Store in fridge until ready to use.
- Cook the quinoa according to package directions. When finished cooking, chill in the fridge or freezer. The texture of the salad is better when the quinoa is cool and crumbles a little more easily (instead of hot and sticky).
- Shred the lettuce into long, thin pieces (or to whatever texture you like). Cut the carrots into a few big chunks and mince them in the food processor with 3-5 pulses. Toss the tomatoes, carrots, and chopped herbs together. Toss the cooled quinoa with the dressing; add the carrots, tomatoes, and herb mixture. When ready to serve, toss with the lettuce.
Notes
For my herbs, I did 1/4 cup each of basil, parsley, and green onions (plus a little lemon thyme! yum).
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 15 mins
- Category: Lunch
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: quinoa veggie salad, quinoa salad, herbed quinoa salad