Nutritious, colorful, and tasty too? Yep, this salad hits all of the right notes. Plus, you can make it on Sunday and then enjoy it for lunches during the week. I tweaked the dressing from the original recipe to be a bit more tangy and spicy. You can dial down the sriracha if you like things a little more mild. Also, I generally like to cook a big batch of quinoa or some other whole grain to have on hand for the week. I used probably more than the 1 cup dried listed in the recipe. You can add as much or as little as suits your tastes. I bet this would be good with other grains, too, like sorghum, freekah or farro.
Note: I like to toast any grains I cook in a bit of olive oil before adding the liquid just to add a nice extra flavor to the finished dish. For specifics, check out my whole grain tutorial here.
Thai Quinoa Salad
Original recipe By: Tastingtable.com Serving Size: 5 Ingredients: - For the Salad: - 1 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained (you’ll need about 2 cups of cooked grains for the recipe) - 2 cups grated carrots (about 2 large) - 2 cups thinly sliced purple cabbage - 3 green onions, white and green parts sliced or one small purple onion, minced and soaked in cool water for a few minutes to reduce the onion bite - 2/3 cup packed mint leaves, chopped
- 2/3 cup cilantro, chopped - 2/3 cup basil leaves, chopped - For the Dressing: - 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil - 1/3 cup fresh lime juice (2 to 3 limes) - 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 garlic clove, minced - 1 tablespoon brown sugar - 3 tablespoons fish sauce
- 1 T sesame oil
- 1 T sriracha sauce, optional Directions: 1. Here is a foolproof method to cook quinoa: In a medium saucepan over high heat, bring to a boil 1½ cups water and the quinoa. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, covered, for 15 minutes or until all the water has been absorbed. Set aside to cool. 2. Meanwhile, put the olive oil, lime juice, soy sauce, garlic, brown sugar, and fish sauce, sriracha and sesame oil in a large bowl and stir to combine. 3. Add the carrots, cabbage, onion, mint, cilantro, and basil to the bowl and toss to combine. Add the quinoa. Mix well to combine. 4. Chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour or until ready to serve. 5. This salad will stay fresh in airtight glass containers in the fridge for up to 5 days.