My husband recently brought home an Whole Foods deli salad challenge for me. He loved eating this edamame quinoa salad at lunch and saved the last little bit for me so that I could recreate it for him. It was a fun challenge! I was surprised to see my son who loves quinoa and edamame but not peppers, over look them and devour this side salad. What could be more healthy than edamame and quinoa together?
I always try to have a box of quinoa in my pantry right next to the pasta. It helps steer me away from another starch carb and give variety to the pasta-rice cycle we get on. It’s as easy to cook as rice, in fact I cook it in my rice cooker. If you’re not familiar with it, quinoa is a seed that is a complete protein. It provides all nine essential amino acids. But best of all it’s a gluten-free option for my dear friend Kristen to make her husband. Quinoa is one of those en vogue foods so it’s pretty redly available. Trader Joe’s carries it in a variety of colors. Their tricolor variety is pictured. However, quinoa in some form is most likely in your traditional grocery’s bulk food aisle.
Note: I only top it with feta cheese rather than mixing it in. This keeps the consistency from getting too soft and limits the salt content.
1 1/2 cups uncooked quinoa
3 cups water
1/8 cup minced fresh parsley
1/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
3 T extra virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup frozen edamame, defrosted
1 cup chopped red pepper
1/4 cup sliced green onion
1/2 cup feta cheese
Rinse and drain the quinoa thoroughly. This removes a natural bitter coating on the grain. Combine 1 1/2 cups quinoa with 3 cups water in a sauce pan and bring it to a boil. Reduce to simmer, cover and cook until all the water is absorbed, for about 15 mins. Note a little tail or “germ ring” pops out of the seed when it is done cooking.
In a small bowl wisk lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper.
In a large bowl combine quinoa, edamame, red pepper and green onion. Give the dressing one last stir and mix it into the large bowl of ingredients. Taste and season to your own salt and pepper preference.
Serve with a garnish of feta cheese.
- 1½ cups uncooked quinoa
- 3 cups water
- ⅛ cup minced fresh parsley
- ¼ cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
- 3 T extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon ground pepper
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup frozen edamame, defrosted
- 1 cup chopped red pepper
- ¼ cup sliced green onion
- 1/2 cup feta cheese
- Rinse and drain the quinoa thoroughly. This removes a natural bitter coating on the grain. Combine 1½ cups quinoa with 3 cups water in a sauce pan and bring it to a boil. Reduce to simmer, cover and cook until all the water is absorbed, for about 15 mins. Note a little tail or "germ ring" pops out of the seed when it is done cooking.
- In a small bowl wisk lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper.
- In a large bowl combine quinoa, edamame, red pepper and green onion. Give the dressing one last stir and mix it into the large bowl of ingredients. Taste and season to your own salt and pepper preference.
- Serve with a garnish of feta cheese.