Quinoa Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette (vegan, gluten-free)

So much flavor, color and crunch going on here... Fluffy quinoa, crisp bell peppers and red onion, and the most luxurious lemon vinaigrette ever. Vegan, gluten-free, ultra satisfying, and undeniably healthy. Oh, and ready in about 20 minutes.

It always amazes me when a salad like this takes everyone by storm. And that's exactly what happened. I brought this batch to my son's cross country meet and served it alongside the sandwich wraps (and surprise cake for seniors). Despite the fact that cake and sandwiches were present, everyone dove into this salad first. And then came back for seconds. There wasn't one little quinoa curlicue left. I'm thinking that's a pretty good sign. If you want to wow YOUR crowd, make this salad.

But first, I have a few tips for making perfect quinoa every time. Take note, some of this goes against what's written on the package:

1. Always rinse quinoa under cold water before cooking. Even if it says "rinsed" on the package (mine said "washed & rinsed"). Quinoa contains saponins, naturally occurring phytochemicals (plant compounds) that can be bitter and actually foam up the cooking water (just like some legumes do when they're not rinsed). Saponins actually get their name from soap suds, because they lather up. We don't want soapy quinoa, so rinse it before cooking.
2. Use 2 parts water to 1 part quinoa, just like rice.
3. Cook the quinoa uncovered (the package will tell you to cover it). This prevents the grain from getting mushy. Once the liquid is absorbed, cover the pan for a quick, 5-minute steam (with the pan off the heat). It's this last 5 minutes that really brings out the curlicues in the grain. 

Now that you've got the quinoa primer, it's time to make this salad! While the quinoa cooks, you can make the vinaigrette and chop the vegetables, so everything comes together at the same time. Easy breezy.

Also, you can serve this salad warm, room temperature or chilled, making it a great option for work/school lunches!

Quinoa Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette (vegan, gluten-free)

1 cup quinoa

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon zest

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon finely grated garlic

1 each red and orange (or green) bell pepper, seeded and chopped

1/3 cup minced red onion

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Pour the quinoa into a fine mesh strainer and rinse under cold water (don't skip this step, see above). Drain and transfer the quinoa to a medium saucepan. Add 2 cups of water, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper and set the pan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and gently simmer, uncovered, for 10 to 15 minutes, until the water is completely absorbed (if necessary, reduce the heat to low as the water reduces).

Remove the pan from the heat, cover, and let stand for 5 minutes (this steams the quinoa and releases those cute little curls).

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, Dijon mustard, and garlic. Add the quinoa and stir to coat. Fold in the bell peppers, onion and parsley. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve warm, room temperature or chilled. 

Serves 4