I had a version of this colorful salad at my friend Kim’s house recently. The recipe she used had chickpeas, red pepper and artichoke hearts; when I made it I used sweet grape tomatoes and feta. I think if you have quinoa, arugula and a good dressing, any extras are icing on the cake.
Ingredients
- 1 cup quinoa, uncooked
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 7 ounces arugula (rocket)
- 1 pound grape or cherry tomatoes
- 1/2 cup crumbled feta, or more to taste
- Balsamic vinaigrette (2/3-3/4 cup, or to taste)
- Dash of cayenne pepper or few drops sriracha
- Salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
Directions
- If you have time, soak quinoa in cold water for 15 minutes to 2-4 hours. Rinse quinoa in a mesh colander for a two or three minutes under running water.
- Place drained quinoa in medium saucepan with 1 1/2 cups water. Bring to boil and turn to a very low simmer. Cook 15 minutes, until water is absorbed. Remove from heat, cover and let sit for five minutes. Transfer to a large bowl. Add a shake of salt and pepper to taste, stir and let cool to room temperature.
- Wash and dry arugula. Cut tomatoes in half.
- Add cayenne pepper or sriracha to vinaigrette, to taste. Even a wee bit of kick is nice here.
- Toss quinoa with tomatoes. Add arugula and vinaigrette; toss. Add salt and pepper to taste. Top with crumbled feta and mix in if desired.
Makes four large or eight small servings.
Notes
- Excellent additions: onions, shallots, scallions, red pepper, cucumber, chickpeas, artichoke hearts, capers, olives, avocado.
- Fresh lemon (1-2, depending on size) and extra-virgin olive oil would also make a great dressing for this salad.
Here’s a link back to the post and pictures.
