Quinoa salads are life-saving, great-tasting dishes for the upcoming holiday season. They feed a crowd on minimal prep time, and are easily customizable to your audience. Because the holidays are fast approaching, I am rolling out all the bright and bold, red and green, hearty and easy dishes imaginable. Let’s face it; as exciting and joyful as this time of year may be, it can also be a little stressful. Especially if you’re hosting; that’s a game-changer, for sure.
There’s a lot that you can do with this salad to assemble it on a whim the day of. You can cook the quinoa ahead of time and store it in your fridge; and you can roast or steam the broccoli in advance and store it in a sealed, glass container. Tomatoes, peppers, feta and the vinaigrette can surely be chopped and prepared the day of; for ultimate freshness. But end to end, the assembly process should take you no longer than 10-15 mins. My kinda deal. Are you in?
Just in case you have the slightest hesitation; this meal can be enjoyed either hot or cold. Personally, I prefer it cold and I’ll tell you why…. Typically, we’re gathered around a table that contains a lot of hot “entrees”. Insert turkey, roast ham, sweet potato casserole, mashed potatoes, stuffing, etc. All of them warm, are you with me? When it comes to a salad, we typically look for something cold and refreshing and this one fits the bill ever so perfectly. I also really enjoy (or rather, prefer) to roast the broccoli ahead of time because it elevates the salad. Slightly charred, roasted broccoli is always a step above steamed broccoli; which is typically a little more bland. So if you have the extra 20 mins, do ROAST! It pays off, friends. 😉
Now, let’s pretend you’re invited to several holiday parties… (AKA you’re not hosting, but you’d love to help your host!). Well then, this salad works just as well in that scenario, too. This unassuming quinoa salad is the perfect little potluck dish. You can easily double up or down on the recipe depending on the number of attendees.
But it’s so tasty and so easy to make you’ll find yourself making lots of it so that you can keep some at home. For yourself. For quick lunches or dinners during the week. You can eat it as a standalone or you can add your favorite protein to it; whether it be poached salmon, grilled chicken breast or flank steak. They all work wonderfully well with this versatile little dish.
Tips and Tricks to Making it Last Longer in the Fridge:
- don’t add the lemony vinaigrette until you’re about to serve (and eat same-day)
- don’t add the crumbled feta until you’re ready to eat it
- if you have extra vinaigrette, store in the fridge as well
Not a broccoli fan? Try this salad with spinach, artichokes, or shaved brussels. You’ll be pleasantly surprised at how good these are, too!
Tomato & Roasted Broccoli Quinoa Salad
Ingredients
- 1 cup of quinoa
- 1 + 3/4 cups of bone broth* (or vegetable broth or water)
- 1 large or 2 small broccoli heads (chop stems and cut into individual florets)
- handful of kale, finely chopped
- 1 cup of chopped red, yellow and orange sweet bell peppers
- 3 large tomatoes, finely chopped or 1 pint of cherry tomatoes sliced in half
- 1 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil and lemon to “massage” the kale with clean hands (makes it tender and super flavorful *pro tip: chop off the veins/stems)
- 1-2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil to coat the broccoli for roasting
- handful of crumbled feta cheese
- pink sea salt and ground pepper to taste
- fresh juice of 1 lemon
Lemony Vinaigrette (my go-to!)
- 3-4 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp of fresh lemon juice
- 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 2 crushed garlic cloves
- 1/2 tsp dijon mustard
- sea salt and ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper
- In a large bowl, combine the broccoli florets with extra virgin olive oil, sea salt, pepper and the fresh juice of 1 lemon
- Place evenly over the baking sheet and roast for about 25 mins or until golden
- While the broccoli roasts, I move on to the quinoa. Rinse the quinoa first, then let it drain. Warm up 1 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil in a pan, then add the quinoa and stir to coat. Finally, add the bone broth or liquid and bring to a boil. Lower the heat, cover the pan with a lid, and allow it to simmer (while stirring) for about 10-15 mins.
- Allow the quinoa to cool and fluff up and then transfer to a bowl
- Throw all veggie ingredients into the same bowl and give them a good toss until mixed well with the quinoa.
- Add the crumbled feta and lemony vinaigrette the day you’re serving it.
By: Aleyda/ The Dish On Healthy
