Quinoa Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette

Hello friends- Heather Brown introduced me to a super grain called Quinoa. I am trying to get more protein in Asher's diet and this sounded like a great idea. I mix it with some yogurt and berries for breakfast. Anyway at our June recipe club the theme was Salad and this is a yummy salad that uses Quinoa.


Quinoa Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette
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Recipe By: Raising the Salad Bar: Catherine Walthers
Serving Size: 6
Summary:
This is one of my personal favorites. Friends often request this quinoa salad and I happily oblige because it's a snap to make and goes well with everything. The quinoa cooks in 15 minutes, and just a simple dressing of lemon juice and olive oil seasons it perfectly.
Ingredients:
1 cup quinoa, rinsed
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 bunch watercress, roughly chopped about 2 cups
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced
1 large carrot, peeled and grated
5 radishes, cut into matchticks or grated
1 roasted red pepper, diced
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Directions:
1. Add quinoa, salt and 1 & 1/2 cups water to a saucepan. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to low, cover and cook for 13-15 minutes, until the water is absorbed. Turn off the heat and let the quinoa sit for 5 minutes. Set aside to cool completely.
2. In a large serving bowl, combine the cooled quinoa, watercress, cucumber, carrot, radishes and red pepper.
3. To make the dressing, in a small bowl, whisk together all of the dressing ingredients. Add to the quinoa and vegetables and toss gently to combine. If there is any salad left over, refresh it with a bit of lemon juice and olive oil and serve at room temperature.

Courtesy of Heather Brown