Quinoa Salad

Spring Quinoa Salad

Spring is a season of renewal. This quinoa salad recipe is as fresh as the morning dew and will put some “spring” into your step!

Are you not familiar with quinoa, or haven’t cooked this lovely grain yet? Here is some information on its ancient origins. Quinoa derived its name from the Spanish spelling of the Quechua name, kinwa, and originated in the Andean region of Chile, Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, and Colombia. There it was domesticated 3,000 to 4,000 years ago for human consumption and today we are able to enjoy its many health and flavor benefits!

(From online encyclopedia, Wikipediahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quinoa)

Ingredients
12 cups water
1 1/2 cups quinoa, rinsed
5 pickling cucumbers, peeled, ends trimmed, and cut into 1/4-inch cubes
1 small red onion, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
1 large tomato, cored, seeded, and diced
1 bunch Italian parsley leaves, chopped
2 bunches mint leaves, chopped
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 lemon, juiced
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 heads endive, trimmed and separated into individual spears
1 avocado, peeled, seeded and diced, for garnish

Directions

Bring the water to a boil in a large saucepan. Add the quinoa, stir once, and return to a boil. Cook uncovered, over medium heat for 12 minutes. Strain and rinse well with cold water, shaking the sieve to remove all moisture.

When dry, transfer the quinoa to a large bowl. Add the cucumbers, onion, tomato, parsley, mint, olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, salt, and pepper and toss well. Spoon onto endive spears, top with avocado, and serve