Fresh & Easy Rainbow Quinoa Salad

Summertime is the season of backyard BBQs and get-togethers. The dish that I usually bring along to these events is my Rainbow Quinoa Salad. I love it because it’s super easy to throw together and can feed a crowd. Even though it has lots of fresh veggies and herbs, the dish is still hearty thanks to the quinoa. You can easily make this the day before so you have one less thing to worry about!

Nature’s Superseed

Even though it’s commonly known as an “ancient grain,” quinoa is actually considered a seed. It’s naturally gluten-free, too. Quinoa is a rare plant source of complete protein – meaning it contains all of the amino acids, including the ten essential amino acids. This is a perfect food for vegetarians and vegans to include in their diet (omnivores too!).

Not only is it wonderfully anti-inflammatory, but quinoa also contains large amounts of the disease-preventing antioxidants, bioflavonoids. When it comes to gut health, quinoa contains prebiotics which are food for the good bacteria living in your gut.

Fresh Herbs

While many see parsley as a mere garnish, it’s actually packed with nutrition. Just one cup of fresh parsley contains about 1230% of your daily vitamin K needs and about 133% of your daily vitamin C.

Basil is also another nutrient powerhouse. It’s incredibly anti-inflammatory, high in antioxidants, and contains phytochemicals that can naturally prevent cancer. The aromatic herb is great to eat when you’re feeling a little under the weather because of its antimicrobial properties that fight infections and viruses.

Fresh & Easy Rainbow Quinoa Salad

A light salad full of fresh veggies and protein-packed quinoa.

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Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes minutes

Servings: 3 -4 cups

Author: Katie Stewart Wellness

Ingredients

For the salad:

• 2 cups cooked quinoa
• 2 carrots shredded
• 3 green onions finely sliced
• 1 yellow pepper diced
• 1 red pepper diced
• ½ cucumber quartered and sliced
• ¼ cup fresh parsley chopped
• ¼ cup fresh basil chopped
• ¼ cup dried apple juice sweetened cranberries

For the dressing:

• ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tbsp raw honey or maple syrup
• ¼ tsp unrefined salt

Instructions

• Add all of the ingredients for the salad in to a large bowl.
• In a small bowl or mason jar, combine the ingredients for the dressing.
• Pour dressing on salad.
• Any uneaten salad will keep in the fridge for about 3 days.