Quinoa Salad
Updated March 4, 2024
Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
- Total Time
- 15 minutes
- Prep Time
- 10 minutes
- Cook Time
- 5 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
1 small garlic clove
2 lemons
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed
Salt and black pepper
3 cups cooked quinoa, cold or at room temperature
2 mini seedless or Persian cucumbers, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 bell pepper, any color, seeded and cut into bite-sized pieces
1 cup finely chopped parsley leaves and stems (see Tip)
½ cup green olives, such as Castelvetrano or Cerignola, pitted and halved
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
39 grams carbs; 343 calories; 12 grams monounsaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 3 grams saturated fat; 19 grams fat; 7 grams fiber; 699 milligrams sodium; 8 grams protein; 4 grams sugar
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
In a large bowl, finely grate the garlic clove. Finely grate the zest of 1 lemon, then halve the lemons and squeeze in ¼ cup juice. Add the olive oil, season with salt and pepper and stir to combine.
- Step 2
Stir in the quinoa, cucumbers, bell pepper, parsley and olives. Taste and adjust seasonings with salt (if bland), black pepper (if mild), olive oil (if too puckery) and lemon juice (if it needs a punch).
The quickest way to chop a lot of parsley is to fold a small bunch in half so the leaves are under the stems. Hold onto the bunch with your non-dominant hand and finely slice the leaves and stems. Parsley stems are crunchy and concentrated with flavor; be sure to use them in your salad.
Private Notes
Comments
I followed this recipe to the letter and it was great. I am 62 and had no idea parsley stems should be used and are full of flavor - I have been throwing them out my whole adult life. I have forever changed the way I cut up parsely after reading this recipe. This recipe makes quite a lot. It definitely will feed more than 4 people as a side. Also - start with one cup quinoa and 2 cups water - bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for 15 to 20 which will yield 3 cups cooked.
Add halved cherry tomatoes, a couple handfuls of arugula, and feta! And some crunched up pita chips on the top give it some additional texture. Kalamata olives were great instead of green, but maybe that's just my preference.
I add black beans and sub cilantro for parsley, and fresh lime juice instead of lemon
Followed the base recipe exactly and then added in a can of drained chickpeas, halved cherry tomatoes, feta, and salami. I only had a little parsley, so I supplemented with chives and basil. Excellent recipe! I make it all the time, always a little differently, and always delicious!
My family including three generations raved about this salad last night! My only suggestion is to plan on longer than half an hour to make it unless you have chopped all the ingredients before hand. Start to finish, it took me well over an hour...but well worth the effort.
Made this several times, but this time I was a dumb dumb and didn’t check my pantry to see if I had enough quinoa- so I made it with pearl couscous cooked in some homemade chicken stock instead. Still slaps, 10/10 no notes