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Home » Food » Lemon Quinoa & Bean Salad

Lemon Quinoa & Bean Salad

July 13, 2016 by Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet · 13 Comments

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lemon quinoa bean salad gluten free vegan vegetarian healthy vegetables quick easy tomatoes cucumbers

Quinoa is a fascinating food and it has long been lauded for its unique nutritional benefits.  For example, you may have heard that it’s a complete protein.  What that means is that it contains all 9 essential amino acids that your body can’t produce on its own but has to get from food.  And while no single food has all of the nutrients essential to life, quinoa comes closer than any other food in both the plant and animal kingdom.  Pretty amazing, isn’t it?

Did you know that quinoa, although it’s prepared like a grain, isn’t a grain at all?  It’s actually a seed, a relative of spinach, chard and beets.  You can even eat the leaves of the quinoa plant.  And there are nearly 120 different varieties of quinoa!  The ones that are most common commercially are white, red and black, each with different flavor and texture characteristics.

1

Quinoa is also high in protein, fiber and a whole host of minerals.  It’s also naturally gluten-free and easy to digest.  For all of these reasons quinoa is being considered by NASA for long-duration human occupied space flights.

Another interesting characteristic of quinoa is that it has a remarkably short germination period.  Unlike wheat that takes 12 hours or more to sprout, when placed in water quinoa will sprout in only 2-4 hours.  Sprouted quinoa is another great, nutritional option for salads.

Quinoa-1-cropped

All around, quinoa is a wonderfully healthy and versatile food option.  Use it in any salad that calls for grains like this Chinese Chicken Fried Quinoa or Asian Wheat Berry Salad, enjoy a healthier and just-as-tasty version of your favorite cornbread like this Quinoa Cornbread, sneak it into this nutrient-dense Honey Olive Quinoa Cake, enjoy it for breakfast in this Apple Cinnamon Quinoa Cereal, or make what may be the richest, most decadent and fudgy chocolate cake you’ve ever had, this Chocolate Almond Quinoa Cake!

Ready to make this Lemon & Quinoa Bean Salad?

Let’s get started!

Combine all the ingredients in a large mixing bowl.

lemon quinoa bean salad gluten free vegan vegetarian healthy vegetables quick easy tomatoes cucumbers

Whisk together the vinaigrette ingredients until emulsified.

Quinoa-Bean-Salad-prep-1-edited

Pour the vinaigrette over the salad and stir to combine.

Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.

lemon quinoa bean salad gluten free vegan vegetarian healthy vegetables quick easy tomatoes cucumbers

Serve by itself with some crusty bread or rolls or as a side with some chicken, fish, pork, lamb or steak.

Enjoy!

lemon quinoa bean salad gluten free vegan vegetarian healthy vegetables quick easy tomatoes cucumbers

Lemon Quinoa & Bean Salad

Kimberly Killebrew
Print Recipe
No ratings yet
Prep Time 10 minutes mins
Cook Time 10 minutes mins
Total Time 20 minutes mins
Servings 6 servings
Calories 206 kcal

Ingredients
 
 

  • 3 cups cooked quinoa ,fully cooled (See Note)
  • 1 14 oz. can white beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1/2 cup diced cucumber ,seeds removed
  • 1/2 cup diced tomatoes
  • 1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
  • 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
  • For the Lemon Vinaigrette:
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil or oil of choice
  • 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon fresh lemon zest
  • 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
  • 1 clove garlic ,finely minced
  • 1 teaspoon honey (vegans: use sugar or sweetener of choice)
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Instructions
 

  • Combine ingredients in a large salad bowl. Add vinaigrette and toss, or allow each person to add their own dressing.

Notes

It's generally recommended that raw quinoa be thoroughly rinsed and drained before cooking it to remove saponin, which can make the quinoa taste bitter or soapy.

Nutrition

Calories: 206kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 398mg | Potassium: 249mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 580IU | Vitamin C: 23.3mg | Calcium: 25mg | Iron: 1.8mg
Tried this recipe? Mention @daringgourmet or hashtag #daringgourmet

Image courtesy Christian Guthier

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13 Comments →

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13 Responses

  1. Melanie | Melanie Makes says

    July 15, 2016 at 1:55 pm

    A perfect warm weather salad – love the addition of lemon!

    Reply
  2. colleen kennedy says

    July 15, 2016 at 11:59 am

    A perfect salad for summer! Love it!

    Reply
  3. Cathy | Lemon Tree Dwelling says

    July 14, 2016 at 8:11 pm

    I love finding different versions of quinoa salad! This one looks so light, fresh, & delicious!

    Reply
  4. Amanda @ The Kitcheneer says

    July 14, 2016 at 2:57 pm

    I love quinoa and all of its great benefits! This salad is gorgeous! Pinning for later!

    Reply
  5. Michelle | A Latte Food says

    July 14, 2016 at 12:08 pm

    Ooh this looks amazing! It sounds so light and healthy for these summer days!

    Reply
  6. Laura | Petite Allergy Treats says

    July 14, 2016 at 10:12 am

    Quinoa is such a great protein source! Love how you’ve made it a complete meal!

    Reply
  7. Brenda @ Sugar-Free Mom says

    July 14, 2016 at 7:43 am

    A wonderful lunch on a hot summer day!

    Reply
  8. Carolyn says

    July 14, 2016 at 6:29 am

    This looks so fresh and good for summer!

    Reply
  9. eat good 4 life says

    July 14, 2016 at 5:27 am

    All of these salad look superb. I love the variety and the color. So healthy and refreshing!

    Reply
  10. Krista says

    July 13, 2016 at 8:09 pm

    I am going to have to add this to my summer salad list!

    Reply
  11. Meg @ With Salt and Wit says

    July 13, 2016 at 6:10 pm

    What a great salad to keep and have all week for lunch!

    Reply
  12. Lauren Kelly Nutrition says

    July 13, 2016 at 5:31 pm

    This looks amazing! This is my kind of salad!

    Reply
  13. The Food Hunter says

    July 13, 2016 at 3:30 pm

    I love everything about this…it would be perfect for lunch

    Reply

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kimberly killebrew the daring gourmet

Welcome!  I’m Kimberly and I share delicious originals, revitalized classics and authentic dishes from around the world.  Come travel the world through your taste buds!

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