Strawberry Summer Quinoa Salad
This summer quinoa salad packs a double punch of strawberries in the dressing and the salad. Fresh cucumber and snap peas provide crunch while goat cheese adds a creamy tang. Bring this to your next potluck and your friends will thank you!
Equipment
- blender
Ingredients
Quinoa
- 1 cup quinoa
- 2 cups vegetable stock (or water)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 whole lemon, zested
Strawberry Basil Dressing
- 2 cups fresh strawberries, hulled
- 1/4 cup fresh basil
- 1 whole lemon, zested and juiced
- 1/2 tsp dijon mustard
- 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp cracked black pepper
Salad
- 1 cup sliced strawberries
- 1 cup halved sugar snap peas
- 1 cup sliced cucumber
- 1/2 cup goat cheese
- 2 cups fresh arugula
Instructions
Quinoa
- Bring 2 cups of vegetable stock and salt to a boil.
- In the meantime, thoroughly rinse your quinoa in a fine mesh sieve and drain well.
- Add quinoa to boiling water and lower heat to a simmer for about 10-15 minutes or until the water is absorbed. The quinoa should be al dente (a slight hardness but not crunchy) and not mushy.
- Remove from the heat and cover with a lid. Let rest for 5-10 minutes and fluff with a fork. Add in lemon zest.
Strawberry Basil Salad Dressing
- Add strawberries, basil, dijon, lemon zest, lemon juice and red wine vinegar to a blender. Blend to combine. With the motor running, slowly drizzle in the oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Salad
- In a bowl, layer the arugula, cooked quinoa, strawberries, snap peas, and cucumber. Drizzle over the strawberry basil dressing and top with crumbled goat cheese.
Notes
- Feta is a fantastic substitute for goat cheese.
- Raspberries taste great in this recipe if you want to swap out for strawberries.
- To cool your quinoa quickly, spread it out on a cookie sheet in a thin layer.
- The strawberry basil dressing will keep for roughly 4 days in the refrigerator
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!