Broccoli Quinoa Salad Recipe to Celebrate the Year of Quinoa!
2013
This broccoli quinoa salad is one I created this afternoon. My mom is going to a pot luck tomorrow morning with a small group of painters and friends. I had just made a pot of quinoa, not knowing what I was going to do with it and I had an abundance of broccoli. That is sometimes how awesome recipes are born, and a few bowls later, I would say this is an awesome recipe. Oh and yes, 2013 really has been declared the International Year of Quinoa. So because of this and mainly due to the fact that it has a very high nutritional and protein content, let’s celebrate quinoa! As I love raw foods so much, I am very selective about which cooked foods I eat. Quinoa is one of them, and this quinoa salad recipe is delicious. Come see how it is made!
In this recipe I use 5 cups quinoa and this is mainly because I had just a little over a cup of quinoa left and when I cooked it, it made 5 cups. 1 cup raw quinoa will make approximately 4 cups when you cook it and for this recipe if you use anywhere from 4 to 6 cups of quinoa, it will turn out fine. Likewise, substituting vegetables is generally fine as well.
I used raw broccoli and found it softened a little when mixed in the salad and after sitting for awhile. I really like the bit of crunch it gives in contrast with the quinoa. But if you prefer your broccoli steamed, I know some who do, then by all means go ahead. I think raw broccoli is the most nutritious way to eat it, but steamed broccoli is nutritious too and definitely better than no broccoli at all!
Broccoli Quinoa Salad Recipe
Ingredients
5 cups Quinoa – cooked
5 cups Broccoli
½ cup Red Pepper – chopped
½ cup Red Onion – chopped
1 Carrot – grated
Dressing
¼ cup Olive Oil
¼ cup Apple Cider Vinegar
1 Tbsp Tamari
1 Tbsp Honey
2 tsp Dijon Mustard
2 tsp Ginger – grated
1 Garlic clove – minced
1 tsp Sambal Oelek, or other hot sauce
Directions
Mix dressing ingredients together in a bottle and shake well to combine. Let sit together for an hour, or at least half and hour, to blend flavors. This will make any little pieces there may be of ginger and garlic not as strong.
Place quinoa with vegetables in a bowl. Pour dressing over and stir well to combine.
The salad can be served right away. Store any left overs in an air tight container in the fridge. It will keep for several days, possibly up to a week if the vegetables are all fresh.
Photo Description
Cook quinoa
Assemble dressing ingredients
Grate ginger and mince garlic. Then put all of the ingredients in a bottle and shake to combine well. Let sit to marry flavors.
Chop vegetables
Put the quinoa and vegetables together in a big bowl. The carrot I had was an heirloom yellow one, that is the right color. 
Pour dressing on top and stir well.
I love this one. Can’t stop eating it!! At least its very nutritious and guilt free!!
