Quinoa, a “new” ingredient that has been around for thousands of years, is a tiny, high-protein grain from South America. It’s nicknamed the “wonder grain” because it cooks more quickly than rice, is virtually foolproof, and is lighter and more nutritious than other grains.
| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 40 min |
| Prep: | 20 min |
| Cook: | 20 min |
| Yield: | 8 servings |
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
Instructions
- 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 well 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.
Nutrition Facts
| Calories | 319 |
| Total Fat | 20 grams |
| Saturated Fat | 3 grams |
| Cholesterol | 0 milligrams |
| Sodium | 467 milligrams |
| Carbohydrates | 32 grams |
| Dietary Fiber | 6 grams |
| Protein | 7 grams |
| Sugar | 4 grams |
Reviews
This is good, but I’ve been cooking Quinoa for years and I use 1 3/4 cup Water, 1 Cup Quinoa – bring to boil then cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Turn off then let it sit for 10 minutes then fluff with fork. My quinoa is always perfect this way. Just thought I’d put this out there. I do love the combination of veggies and condiments and I added lots of fresh herbs including Italian parsley and basil, jalapeños for those spice lovers and/or crushed red pepper.
I made this on a Sunday and had healthy lunches all week. I added the avocado fresh with each lunch as I like a little more than less avocado and a dash of sea salt on top. Delicious!
I didn’t measure the water. Cooked it like I would pasta then drained. Next time I will use my rice maker. I used other ingredients , following recipe as best I could.
I didn’t have all the ingredients because I forgot to get mint and I think that would have made it much better. I wasn’t a fan of the cucumber, I think I’ll try cutting it smaller next time and not adding so much. Everyone really liked this and it was great paired with a meat as a starch side dish. This and grilled chicken gave my family a satisfying dinner.
I made this but I only had a small amount of quinoa and no strawberries so I subbed barley couscous and peaches with pecans. came out really good
So, so good! I made this for my daughter and I to munch on throughout the week and we love it!
What does 8 servings mean?
It looks pretty in the belgium endive but was just ok. Needs something to give it a kick. I make a similar recipe with israeli couscous that I like better. It only uses lemon juice, no vinegar, and I think that is a better option.
It was just ok won’t make it again…
The ingredients for the quinoa seem off. 12 cups of water to 1 1/2 cups quinoa seems like way too much water. Did I miss something?