Recipe: Garden Fresh Quinoa Salad

This tasty and refreshing make-ahead salad perfectly complements warm weather and comes together super quickly. Quinoa makes up a hearty base, filled with red bell peppers, cucumbers and shallots. The tang of the red wine vinegar contrasts the coolness of the mint, making it the ideal summer dish to add to any entree. Gobble it all up for yourself or make it for your next cookout or outdoor get-together!

Here's how to dice that red bell pepper:

Pro tips:

• Save time by making the quinoa the day before; that way it's prepped ahead of time and you can be sure that it's totally chilled.
• Not a fan of red bell peppers? You can easily swap it out for any other color you prefer!

Recipe: Garden Fresh Quinoa Salad

Prep time: 15 minutes + 30 minutes chill time

Cook time: 12-15 minutes

Yield: 8 servings

Serving size: ⅔ cup

Ingredients

1 cup dry quinoa, rinsed

2 cups water

½ English cucumber, diced

1 red bell pepper, diced

½ shallot, diced (or red onion, diced)

2 tablespoons mint, minced

¼ cup red wine vinegar

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, add the quinoa and water. Bring to a boil, then reduce to low and cover. Cook for 12 to 15 minutes until the water is absorbed and the "tails" have popped out.

Transfer the quinoa to a large bowl or baking dish and spread out thin. Refrigerate to chill for at least 30 minutes.

When the quinoa is chilled, combine it with the rest of the ingredients and gently toss together to combine.

Serve chilled.

Nutrition Information

Per Serving: (⅔ cup)

Calories: 155

Calories from fat: 73

Fat: 7g

Saturated Fat: 1g

Cholesterol: 0mg

Sodium: 75mg

Carbohydrates: 17g

Fiber: 2g

Sugar: 2g

Protein: 4g

SmartPoints: 4

3.1

Copyright 2015 Womanista Wellness The nutrition content of recipes on SkinnyMom.com has been calculated by Registered Dietitian, Jessica Penner, of Smart Nutrition.

Click here to see how Skinny Mom calculates SmartPoints.