This quinoa salad is quick, easy, healthy & delicious, and my pants are not even on fire.

The first time I made this quinoa salad I didn’t even know how to pronounce it… I called it “kwin-oh-ah”.

(It’s pronounced keen-wha, if you didn’t know. I’ll save you the embarrassment.)

This salad has lots of fresh ingredients and one simmered ingredient, which is why I tried it in the first place.

You see, at that time, we were living in a camper and had to cook in the “outside kitchen”, which primarily revolved around a propane cooker, a folding table and a galvanized tub (set on a wooden spool) with the head of the camper’s outside shower apparatus dangling in it, AKA, the sink. 

So needless to say, meals were strait to the point. Feed the people. 

Besides, I thought, it’s healthy and fairly cheap. I would just have to be decidedly optimistic about the taste. 

My husband was not so optimistic. He’s a beef and potatoes man. And he was hot and dirty and hungry.

I wouldn’t use the word “unkind” to describe his reception of the vegetarian lunch I handed him, but I might use words like “quietly fuming with indignation”.

And then he had to humble himself a week later when he asked me to please make it again. 

And in a moment of marital glory, being a crown to his head and all, I seared up a slab of steak, sliced it and laid it on top of a mound of quinoa salad, all spilling out of a warm naan bread. And we lived happily ever after. 

It was the beginning of an era.

The steak-quinoa-flatbread, era. 

I made it weekly and packed it for him in his electric lunchbox for I do not know how long. I still make it for dinner when the mood strikes. Our friends even request this meal when they come for dinner. All that to say, it’s really dang good.

The How To

It”s a matter of chopping and simmering-nothing to it!

Here I’m using onion, bell pepper, parsley, cilantro, lemon, olive oil, garlic cloves, apple cider vinegar besides salt and pepper. Olives, tomatoes and feta cheese are also amazing in this salad. (My kids call feta “dusty cheese” but I happen to like it.) I prefer it all finely chopped.

This little garlic twister is so handy!

Cooking quinoa is as easy as cooking rice, very straight forward. Once the quinoa has cooked and cooled to a reasonable temperature- just cool enough that it won’t wilt your herbs- mix all of the ingredients and it’s done! 

I have recently been toasting the raw quinoa in a little olive oil in the hot pot for a few minutes before adding the water to boil it, which adds a nice roasted flavor.

Make it a “whole thing”

We all agree that there is something wonderful about this quinoa salad on a warm, soft sourdough naan or flatbread, especially if you add sliced avocado and some juicy, sliced steak. And boy does a (*real sugar Mexican glass bottle*) Coke-a-cola make for a happy time!

This meal is also a great way to make one or two steaks stretch further when you have mouths to feed.

Justin also loves a few mozzarella balls on the side.

Perfect for prepping weekday lunches

This is the perfect meal to prep at the beginning of the week and then pack for work for a few days. It’s good served still warm or cold.

Did you know…

Quinoa, though now grown all over the world, is originally from the Andes in South America and was vitally important to the ancient peoples there. There are many varieties, but of course we only see a few in our grocery stores. I’ve tried all that I’ve seen and they’re all good. It’s called a grain but it’s actually more closely related to plants like spinach and beets. It’s also a complete source of protein, meaning it has all nine essential amino acids that the body cannot produce on its own, which is impressive, but don’t try and explain that to a hungry man. Just feed him. 

Or add steak and everyone is happy!