Loaded Quinoa and Edamame Salad

Loaded Quinoa and Edamame Salad ~ Quinoa and Edamame in a red wine vinaigrette packed with corn, peppers, celery, onions, and feta cheese.You know how Facebook reminds you what you have posted over the years each day? I enjoy looking at these posts. Well, sometimes I am embarrassed by these posts. But this time of year they are all exciting because of my daughter’s birthday.

She is 6 today, so my ‘on this day’ has been full of posts celebrating my daughter, Mother’s day, and loaded with pictures of friends and family. They have been fun to look at. Quite a few of her past birthdays have been spent in California.

Last year was a rough trip. We scheduled our trip and then had to leave 5 days early for a family emergency. We almost lost my grandfather. Tuesday, Elizabeth and I put my grandparents on a plane back to California after a week long visit. What a difference a year makes.

It was at last year’s California trip that I first tried the salad that inspired this dish. My aunt ran up to the local grocery store deli to get some sides for a quick family dinner one night after visiting my grandfather in the hospital. Each ingredient was easy to identify and the dressing was clearly a red wine vinaigrette. Simple enough.To be honest, I’d long forgotten about this salad. As I do, I take pictures of food on my phone all the time. I see a dish in a deli case, snap. A menu, snap. I’ve even taken pictures of food off the tv that look good to me (yes, I’m crazy.) If there is nothing to snap, I will make a note and save it. While cleaning up my phone a couple of weeks ago, attempting to free up some space, I came across a note I wrote about this dish. Since finding it, I’ve not stopped thinking about it. I had to make it.

So here it is. It’s simple enough to make, the longest step being the mandatory hour chill-out in the fridge. Quinoa cooks in 2o or so minutes, and you can prep all the vegetables while it cooks. Once it is cooked and cooling, make the vinaigrette. Toss it all together and chill. Easy. This is vegetarian dish, but if you want to make it vegan, omit the feta and swap the honey (in the dressing) for either sugar or agave. If you want to add animal protein, some cubed grilled chicken would be great (and use chicken broth in the quinoa instead of vegetable).

Loaded Quinoa and Edamame Salad

Course: Salad

Cuisine: American

Servings: 6 -8

Author: Michelle De La Cerda

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Ingredients

• 1 cup quinoa
• 1-14.5 oz can vegetable broth
• 1.5 oz water
• 2 cups edamame
• 1 1/2 cup corn
• 1/2 cup chopped celery (about 2 ribs)
• 3/4 cup chopped red onion
• 1 medium-large red bell pepper; chopped
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 6 oz crumbled feta cheese

Vinaigrette

• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp dijon mustard
• 1 1/2 tsp honey
• 1/8 tsp black pepper; to taste
• 1/4 tsp salt ; to taste
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

Instructions

1. In a medium sauce pan, mix the broth, water, and quinoa together.
2. Over medium heat, bring to a boil.
3. Boil for 5 minutes, stirring constantly.
4. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook 15-20 minutes.
5. Once all the water has been absorbed, fluff with a fork and allow to cool (to cool quickly, transfer to a baking sheet in a thin layer.)
6. Prep all the vegetables.
7. Toss the quinoa, vegetables, cilantro, and feta together.

Vinaigrette

1. To a small bowl, add the vinegar, mustard, honey, salt and pepper, and whisk together.
2. While whisking, slowly add the olive oil until it has emulsified or combined and thickened.
3. Pour the vinaigrette over the salad and stir until the entire salad has been coated.
4. Cover and chill for one hour.
5. Serve and enjoy.

Thank you for sharing!