A few weeks ago, I purchased a large five pound bag of quinoa. I wanted to prepare a quinoa salad, which I did. I shared it right here on this blog. That salad I made was so good that we began looking for more similar looking ones. Laura browsed online for a little while and came up with something that looked simply fabulous. I agreed with her sentiment and whipped it up last night. It didn’t take long at all and the results were stellar.
The Recipe
This is a simple recipe to prepare. It only takes a few steps and those steps are very straightforward. First, you’ll need to blanch the edamame. Then, cook the quinoa, make the vinaigrette and prep the vegetables. Put everything together and that’s it.
If you’ve ever had any type of quinoa salad before, you’ll surely know what’s in store for you here. The primary difference between this one and others you may have tried is the “greenness” of this dish. Almost everything is green, which, in my opinion, looks kind of cool on the plate. Also, honey is used in the vinaigrette, so there’s a bit of sweetness and the avocado on top adds that uniquely smooth flavor and texture. Overall, this is a very pleasant salad and it’s one I would definitely prepare again in the future.
Ingredients
Serves: 2
1 1/2 Cups Frozen Shelled Edamame
2 Tablespoons Lemon Juice
1 Tablespoon Honey
2 Tablespoons Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
Salt
Ground Black Pepper
1 Medium Sized Cucumber, Trimmed and Sliced Thinly
1 Cup Dried Quinoa
2 Tablespoons Fresh Mint, Coarsely Chopped
2 Tablespoons Fresh Basil, Coarsely Chopped
2 Tablespoons Fresh Dill, Chopped
1 Medium Sized Avocado, Peeled and Sliced Thinly
Step-by-Step Instructions
I’d like to thank Self for this recipe. Again, Laura found this online and it couldn’t be more simple to prepare and enjoy. There are many great recipes on this website, so I encourage you to make a visit to check them out.
Blanch the Edamame
Fill a medium sized saucepan about half way with water. Bring the water to a boil over high heat. When it’s boiling, add the edamame and let it cook for three minutes. When that’s finished, empty the contents of the pot into a colander and run it under cold water until the beans are cooled down.
Cook the Quinoa
Follow the instructions on the package of quinoa you purchased. On mine, it said the ratio of dry quinoa to water is 1:2. So, I added two cups of water to a medium saucepan, along with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and brought the water to a boil. Then, I added the quinoa, reduced the heat to low, covered the pot and let cook for 15 minutes.
When the quinoa is finished cooking, remove it from the heat and uncover the pot to let it cool for a bit.
Make the Vinaigrette
In a medium sized bowl, add the lemon juice, honey, olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper. Whisk these ingredients together well.
Prep the Vegetables
In this recipe, it’s not critical when you prep the ingredients because it’s so slow moving. As you work your way through it, the quinoa cools, which is a good thing.
First, I picked the basil leaves from my garden and then chopped them up.
Then I picked some mint from my garden as well and I chopped that up.
By the way, you can grow both of these plants on your windowsill rather easily. You should give that a try.
Finally, I chopped up the dill and trimmed and sliced the cucumber.
Combine Ingredients
Add all the ingredients, except for the avocado to a large bowl and mix to combine.
Make sure the ingredients are coated with the vinaigrette well. If you want, you can also add a few additional tablespoons of olive oil.
Plate & Serve
Divide the contents of the bowl among two plates. You’ll likely have leftovers. Then, peel and slice the avocado and place those slices on top of the salad. Serve and enjoy.
The Final Quinoa & Avocado Salad
This was a good one. I know the instructions seem longer than I initially described them, but really, this takes no time at all. Especially if you’re making this for a lot of people. You can get much more efficient with your process by prepping in bulk. Give this salad and try and let me know what you think about it. Thanks for reading!
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