Farmers’ Market Quinoa Salad

Prep time: 30 mins

Cook time: 45 mins

Total time: 1 hour 15 mins

Servings: 4

1-part quinoa (white, red, or mixed)

2 parts water or broth

1 bouillon cube (exclude if using broth)

Protein of choice (can of chickpeas, chicken, shrimp, salmon, tofu, etc.)

1 large handful crunchy green vegetables (ie. broccoli, broccolini, green peas, sugar snap peas, etc.)

3-4 large sweet fruits (ie. peaches, pears, apples, etc.)

1 large handful produce of choice (tomatoes, cucumber, zucchini, strawberries, etc.)

1 small handful fresh herbs (ie. dill, cilantro, mint, parsley, basil, thyme, etc.)

1 shallot or small onion diced

1 small spicy pepper (ie. jalapeno or other heirloom variety)

1 lemon juiced

1 avocado sliced

Salt and pepper

For the quinoa:

Rinse and drain your quinoa. Shake or pat your quinoa to dry it as much as you can before transferring it to a large pot. Heat the pot over medium-high heat and shake your quinoa around until it smells slightly nutty (about 2-3 minutes).
Add in your water and bouillon cube, or broth, and increase heat to high until boiling. Once boiling, reduce heat to low, cover, and let simmer for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, remove from heat. Fluff the quinoa with a fork and set aside.

For the protein:

Heat a skillet over medium-high heat and spray the pan with Pompeian Avocado Oil Spray. Add your protein to the pan, season with salt and pepper, and cook until it is your desired level of doneness. (If using chickpeas, rinse and drain them before adding them to the pan and cook until crispy.)

For the crunchy green vegetables:

Heat a medium or large pot of water over high heat until boiling. Trim your greens. Once boiling, add your crunchy green vegetables to the pot and boil for 3-4 minutes, depending on the density. After 3-4 minutes, immediately transfer the greens to an ice bath for at least 5 minutes.

For the assembly:

Slice your large sweet fruits and any extra produce of choice into bite sized slices. Roughly chop your fresh herbs. Dice your small onion or shallot. If using, grate or finely dice your small spicy pepper.
Transfer your quinoa to a large mixing bowl. Add in protein, crunchy green vegetables, chopped produce, herbs, onion or shallot, and spicy pepper. Season with a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Drizzle with Pompeian Made Easy Drizzle Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Squeeze the juice of one lemon over the salad.
Toss your salad. Serve with sliced avocado on top. (TIP: Do not store your extra salad with the avocado mixed in, as it will go bad much faster than the rest of the salad.)

Made With