summer quinoa salad with cucumber, arugula & sun dried tomato

Summer is in full swing here on the east coast and I’d like to share my favorite summer quinoa salad recipe with you. I’ve made this dozens of times and love bringing it to parties or family gatherings. If you are unfamiliar with quinoa (pronounced keen-wah), it is a gluten free grain-like seed that originated from South America. I love that it is versatile, easy to prepare and best of all is a complete protein; meaning it contains all nine of the essential amino-acids that our bodies need to thrive. Quinoa is also considered a valuable source of heart-healthy fats as well as packed full of vitamins, antioxidants and anti-inflammatory nutrients.

I like to toss some arugula in this salad, which is in the cruciferous or brassica plant family. Cruciferous vegetables contain the highest concentration of vitamin A carotenoids, vitamin C, folate, and fiber of any vegetable group. Only one hundred calories worth of cruciferous vegetables provides about 25-40% of your daily fiber requirement! Not only that, but they also contain anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties. Needless to say, cruciferous vegetables are definitely something you want to eat more of!

For some crunch, I add some chopped cucumbers. Cucumbers contain lignans that have a strong connection with reduced risk of cardiovascular disease as well as several cancer types, including breast, uterine, ovarian, and prostate cancers.

You may have heard the word lycopene associated with tomatoes and the recent studies linking it to reduction in prostate cancer risk. Lycopene is the antioxidant responsible for the red, orange and yellow colors of tomatoes. It has been shown to help lower total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and triglycerides as well as helping to prevent UV damage from the sun. Tomatoes are also rich in vitamins C and E, and beta-carotene.

As you can see, the wonderful thing about whole foods is that you don’t have to worry about whether or not they are good for you or how much you should eat. You don’t need to count calories and deprive yourself if you’re eating whole foods, simply eat until you are satisfied, knowing you are fueling your body with the nutrients it needs to stay healthy. Enjoy!

summer quinoa salad with cucumber, arugula & sun dried tomato
serves 6-8

ingredients

4 cups cooked quinoa (2 cups dry quinoa + 4 cups filtered water)
12 pieces of sun-dried tomato in oil, drained and sliced into thin pieces
bunch of fresh chives, finely chopped
a couple handfuls baby arugula
2 hothouse/english cucumbers, sliced and quartered
1 zucchini sliced thin with mandolin or ceramic slicer (optional)
salt and pepper to taste

dressing ingredients

8 tbsp extra virgin first cold pressed olive oil
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 tsp dijon mustard
salt and pepper
bunch of fresh basil, finely shredded

directions

to cook quinoa bring water and quinoa to boil in a medium saucepan. add salt to taste. simmer covered until water is absorbed. remove from heat and fluff with a fork, leaving lid off to cool.

whisk together dressing ingredients, season with salt and pepper.

pour dressing over cooked quinoa and mix well.

add tomatoes, chives, cucumbers, baby arugula. season to taste with salt and pepper, and toss.
serve room temperature.