Quinoa Everything Salad

The Quinoa Everything salad you really can't go wrong with. The recipe is here to help give a starting ground to making an amazing, healthy, filling and all-around nutritious meal. It's called the Everything salad, because you can truly add anything to it.  Any vegetables, leafy seasonings, garnishing's, will blend in and make a filling and healthy meal. 

Branch away from the recipe and create you r own family favorite version of the Quinoa Everything Salad.

Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Nut-Free, Tomato-Free, Vegan

Ingredients

Cooked Quinoa (4.5 cups) (Note 1)

1.5 cups uncooked Quinoa 

3 cups water

Dressing

1/3 cups fresh lemon juice

1/2 cup olive oil

1-2 Tbsp red wine vinegar (depends on how tangly you like it) (Note 2)

2 tsp honey

2 cloves of garlic, minced or crushed

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

Salad makings

2 bell peppers, diced

1 large cucumber, diced

4 cups of spinach, chopped

1 cup of parsley, chopped

1 can of garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed (Note 3)

1 15 oz can of beans, (Kidney, pinto or black, or mixed), drained and rinsed (Note 3)

1 red onion, diced

Optional

1/2 cup of basil, chopped

1 cup of canned artichoke heart, sliced in half or quarters

1/2-1 cup of Greek Kalamata olives, halved

2 cups of baby tomatoes, halved or 2 cups of diced tomatoes

Lemon to squeeze over the top

Directions

1. Combine the quinoa and water in a rice cooker on the rice setting. When finished stir gently and allow to cool.

2. Combine all dressing ingredients in a small bowl and mix together (they will separate some after you are done stirring)

3. In a large bowl combine all the salad making ingredients and the cooled cooked quinoa, add any of the optional salad ingredients, now, or save them to top the salad with.

4. Pour the dressing over the salad and stir together

Notes

1. Alter the quinoa amount to your preference for ideal quinoa content int he salad

2. Red wine vinegar can be substituted with apple cider vinegar, but leave room to adjust quantity (you can always ad more later)

3. Adjust adding more beans (garbanzo, kidney, black, pinot) for more protein and a denser salad. It is up to your tastes and nutrition goals.