Are you bored with the same dull and unimaginative traditional pasta salad, coleslaw, and potato salad recipes? Are you searching for a side dish with a little more personality, that's still healthy, filling, and flavorful? Then this quinoa salad recipe is definitely one that you need to check out. With garbanzo beans, dried herbs, and finely chopped fennel, this rainbow quinoa salad is anything but dull, bland, or unimaginative. And, since adding extra ingredients is so easy, you can switch up the flavor each time you make it. Some of our favorite add-in suggestions include feta cheese, halved cherry tomatoes, and kalamata olives.
Sometimes the best things in life aren't all bright, shiny, colorful, surrounded by rainbows, or drowning in about a bazillion sprinkles. Sometimes they're just simple, quiet, and modest, without the need to be doused in a pound of glitter or draped in garish frippery. They're honest, straightforward, easy to comprehend, and a welcome change from the norm. This quinoa salad is the perfect example. It doesn't need to show off, put on airs, or pretend that it's something that it's not. It knows that given a chance, it will become everyone's favorite new barbecue or cookout side dish. That boring ol' bowl of traditional potato salad, coleslaw, or pasta salad doesn't stand a chance up against this simple and delicious quinoa salad.
Ingredients:
- 1 Cup Rainbow Quinoa
- 2 Cups Cold Water
- 1 Tablespoon Unsalted Butter
- Zest & Juice of 1 Lemon
- 1/4 Cup Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
- 2 Teaspoons Dried Parsley
- 1/2 Teaspoon Dried Basil
- 1/2 Teaspoon Dried Oregano
- 1/2 Teaspoon Ground Sea Salt
- 1/2 Teaspoon Finely Ground Black Pepper
- 1 Fennel Bulb, Finely Chopped
- 1 Can Garbanzo Beans or Chickpeas, Rinsed & Drained
Directions:
- Rinse the quinoa in a fine mesh strainer under cold water. Drain well.
- Place the quinoa and water into a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat.
- When the mixture comes to a boil, decrease the heat to low and cover it with a lid. Simmer for 15 minutes, or until all of the liquid is absorbed and the quinoa is tender.
- Remove from heat and allow to rest covered for 5 minutes.
- After the quinoa has rested, gently stir in the butter until it has all melted.
- Whisk together the lemon juice, lemon zest, olive oil, parsley, basil, oregano, salt, and pepper in a large bowl.
- Add the buttered quinoa to the large bowl along with the fennel and garbanzo beans or chickpeas. Gently stir to combine.
- Tightly cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving.
Suggestions:
- Make sure to rinse the quinoa. You will need to use a fine mesh strainer so that the quinoa does not fall through the holes.
- After rinsing and draining the garbanzo beans or chickpeas, you can remove and throw away the outer skin from each one by rubbing it between your thumb and index finger. You can skip this step if you don't mind the outer skin.
- I did not add a lot of salt to this quinoa salad so that I could add saltier ingredients to it later on, such as feta cheese and kalamata olives. It's fun to make this salad different each day with a new added ingredient.
- You can eat this quinoa salad right away, however, it tastes better after it has been refrigerated for a few hours. You can eat it cold, at room temperature, or warmed.
Improvements:
- Stir in whole or diced kalamata olives, crumbled feta cheese, or halved cherry tomatoes.
- Replace the dried herbs with fresh herbs if you have them available. You will need to double the measurements given in this recipe if using fresh herbs.
- If you buy a whole bulb of fennel that comes with stalks and fronds, garnish the salad with the fennel fronds. Make sure to discard the fibrous stalks.
- Serve this quinoa salad with these Grilled Lemon Pepper Marinated Chicken Tenders.
- Add 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes.
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MORE GREAT GARBANZO BEAN & CHICKPEA RECIPES
Smoky Southwestern Chickpea Hummus
Tangy Chickpea & English Cucumber Salad
Spinach & Chickpea Soup with Bacon & Beer
Make sure to check out all of the other great Sunday Funday recipes for "Side Dishes for Barbecues/Cookouts" below. A huge thanks to Food Lust People Love for hosting this event.
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