Spring

Quinoa Springtime Salad

Name: Quinoa Springtime Salad
Yield: Serves about 10 people +/-
Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups regular quinoa (not red quinoa); 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper; 2 teaspoons garlic powder; 2 teaspoons ground cardamom; 1 1/2 cups light coconut milk; 1 cup water; 4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar; 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice; 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil; 2 garlic cloves, crushed and minced; 1 pound green peas; fresh or frozen (if frozen, thaw in room temp water); 1 pound chopped strawberries; 2 cups thinly sliced green onions; 20-30 medium fresh mint leaves, thinly shredded; 3 tablespoons lemon zest (I prefer Meyer lemons)

by: MariGarrett

May 12, 2011

4 Ratings

Serves about 10 people +/-

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Author Notes

I usually love complex recipes, where it's hard to peg what the exact ingredients are. However, when I think of springtime, I think of recipes where the ingredients don't have to compete with each other and are all the stars of the dish. Springtime means, fresh, crisp and sweet. This recipe is all three and is perfect for a picnic. Enjoy! - MariGarrett —MariGarrett

Test Kitchen Notes

This fresh and light salad is sure to be a party pleaser at a picnic. I wasn't sure how the technique of cooking the quinoa in coconut milk and cardamom would work when the quinoa was paired with the peas, mint and stawberries but it was superb! The salad is quite delicious and lively. I'd recommend using small cloves of garlic (or perhaps only using one) if you're not a big fan of raw garlic. This will certainly be on my menu this summer ... - thehappycook —Victoria Ross

Test Kitchen-Approved

What You'll Need

Ingredients

1 ¹/₂ cups regular quinoa (not red quinoa)
¹/₂ teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons ground cardamom
1 ¹/₂ cups light coconut milk
1 cup water
4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, crushed and minced
1 pound green peas; fresh or frozen (if frozen, thaw in room temp water)
1 pound chopped strawberries
2 cups thinly sliced green onions
20-30 medium fresh mint leaves, thinly shredded
3 tablespoons lemon zest (I prefer Meyer lemons)

Directions

After rinsing the quinoa, place it in a medium sized pot and mix with the spices, then add the coconut milk and water. Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook until done; about 20 minutes.
Place the cooked quinoa in a large mixing bowl and add the vinegar, lemon juice, olive oil and garlic; mix to combine. Set aside and cool to room temperature.
Once the quinoa has cooled down, add the remaining ingredients to the large mixing bowl, one at a time, adding each one only when the the previous ingredient is mix in well enough. I suggest using a mixing spatula, so the ingredients mix, but don't get mashed together.

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1 Review

Tina L. May 4, 2014

A question: the photos show crumbled feta cheese among the ingredients, but it's not included in the recipe. Was this meant to be included or not? Either way, looks delicious!