Summer Quinoa Salad is so easy to make and is packed full of fresh summer fruits and vegetables. Once you toss in the tangy and delicious lemon vinaigrette you will just keep coming back for more. You will have a fresh and full of flavor salad. You can eat it for lunch, dinner or even have as a side.

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Do you love salads as much I do? This recipe is delicious and easy to make for 1 person or many people. You can make this a great addition for a part or picnic with friends and family. Add some protein to make it a meal. Chicken, salmon or shrimp are my go to meat proteins for this salad.

What you need:

quinoa
cranberries
cumin
coriander
chicken stock
chickpeas
corn
peach
cucumber
purple onion
arugula
parsley
mint leaves
lemon
honey
extra virgin olive oil

What you do:

Place quinoa, cranberries, cumin, and coriander in a medium saucepan, season with salt, pepper and cook in chicken broth.
Bring to a boil. Reduce to simmer and cover. Cook until all the broth is absorbed, about 15 minutes, When it is done, you will see the grain will appear popped.
Let the quinoa cool so it doesn’t heat up your vegetables and fruit. I usually cover it and put into my fridge so it will cool a little faster.
Add in all the chopped vegetables and herbs, as well as lemon juice, honey, and oil. Mix well and season with additional salt and pepper, to taste.

How to cook Quinoa

Quinoa is known as “The Mother Grain” and is is also classified as a “supergrain”. It It is naturally gluten free and has mild flavor and light crunch. I am using the white grains, but it also has a red grain, black grain and rainbow grain. You can serve it hot or cold, depending on your dish. It is so easy to cook:

1 cup Quinoa
2 cups water

Add the quinoa and the water into a saucepan. Bring it to a boil, then reduce to simmer for 15 minutes or until all the water has been absorbed. You will know when it is done because the grain will be softer, translucent and the germ ring will have “popped”.