This is a great make-ahead vegetarian meal for quick lunches or a side dish. Delicious for potlucks and picnics, too. Serves 4 as a main, 8 as a side dish.
Vinaigrette
3 to 4 tbsp olive oil, extra-virgin
2 or 3 tbsp red wine vinegar
2 tsp Beary Berry Honey (see recommendations below)
Salad
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 yellow bell pepper, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
2 Roma tomatoes, seeds removed and diced
1/2 English cucumber, seeds removed and diced
2 hands full of chopped or baby spinach, kale, beet or other greens
1 to 1 1/2 tbsp dried oregano (leaves, not ground)
3 cups cooked quinoa
salt and pepper, to taste
Optional: a handful of chopped fresh parsley
Optional: 100 gr of Feta cheese, crumbled
Optional: toss in a handful of black Kalamata olives
- Dice the vegetables and place them into a large bowl.
- Add all the remaining salad ingredients and toss well.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the vinaigrette ingredients.
- Toss the salad with the vinaigrette and adjust to your taste – add more oil, salt, honey, herbs, or vinegar.
Tips, Suggestions & Information
- Use Beary Berry Honey unpasteurized clear or creamed honey for a simple vinaigrette.
- For this recipe, try our Pomegranate Honey, Licorice Honey, or B&T Chai Honey. Use fresh lemon juice instead of red wine vinegar, and try our Lemon Honey or for a real Middle Eastern flavour, Peppermint Honey.
- Quinoa is the only grain which is also a complete protein. It can be found at almost any natural foods, organic, or regular grocery store and is usually more economical in the bulk aisle. It increases about 3 x its volume when cooked. The easiest method is to cook it like pasta, in lots of water and exactly 11 minutes. Drain and serve immediately as a hot side dish or for a warm salad. For a cold salad or to make ahead, rinse the hot, cooked quinoa with cold water and keep it in the fridge up to 3 days, or portion in small containers and freeze for quick meals.
- Use any combination of vegetables you like – broccoli, cauliflower, mushrooms, etc. Try adding cooked beans, chickpeas or lentils for different textures, or even cold shredded chicken or pork for meat eaters.