Autumn Quinoa Salad

Main Dish / Side Dish / Vegetarian / Plant-based / Vegan

(398 votes, average: 3.74 out of 5)

Whole grains can make you live longer. By eating 90 grams of whole grains a day you could reduce your risk for all-cause mortality by 17 percent. Quinoa is a protein-packed grain with all nine essential amino acids. Use it in salads, alongside beans, or as a breakfast cereal swap. This hearty autumnal quinoa salad is chock-full of cozy fall flavors. To save time, cook the quinoa in advance.

Yield: 4 servings

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Ingredients

1 1/2 cup quinoa
Salt and ground black pepper
2 green onions, minced
1 carrot, shredded
1 cup frozen green peas, thawed
1 (15.5-oz.) can dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup unsalted roasted peanuts
1/2 cup dried cranberries
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 tbsp rice vinegar
2 tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley

Directions

1. Bring 3 cups of water to a boil in a saucepan. Add the quinoa and salt to taste. Reduce the heat to maintain a simmer, cover and cook until the water has been absorbed, about 12 minutes.

2. Remove from the heat and transfer to a large bowl. Stir in the green onions, carrot and peas, and set aside to come to room temperature.

3. Add the beans, peanuts, cranberries, oil, vinegar and parsley. Season to taste with salt and pepper and toss to combine.

Variation: Substitute cooked brown rice for the quinoa, or a different type of nut in place of the peanuts.