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Quinoa Salad with Avocado and Goat Cheese

5 from 1 vote
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Course: Salads
Cuisine: Western
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Additional Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Servings: 4 -6 main salads or 8-10 side salads
Author: Doina Johnson

Ingredients

For the Salad:

  • 1 cup dry quinoa uncooked
  • 1 seedless cucumber
  • 1 bell pepper red, orange, or yellow
  • 1/2 medium red onion
  • 4 oz creamy soft goat cheese
  • 2 cups arugula/rocket
  • 2 cups cherry tomatoes
  • 2 medium avocados

For the Salad Dressing:

  • 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice and the zest of one lemon
  • 2 garlic cloves minced
  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • a pinch of kosher salt
  • a pinch of ground black pepper
  • 2 tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley optional

Instructions

  • To a pot over medium heat, add 2 cups of hot/boiling water and 1 cup of quinoa (about 175 grams). Bring to a simmer and let it simmer (adjust the heat if needed) until all the water is absorbed (about 15 minutes).
  • After the water is absorbed, remove the pot from the heat, cover it with a lid, and let the quinoa steam for about 10 minutes. Afterward, fluff it up with a fork and wait until it cools down completely.
  • Make the salad dressing. Add all the salad dressing ingredients (extra-virgin olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, minced garlic, mustard, dried
    oregano, finely chopped fresh parsley (optional), salt, and pepper) to a small jar with a lid and shake it until the dressing is emulsified. If you don't have a jar, you can also whisk the dressing ingredients in a bowl instead.
  • Prepare all the ingredients to assemble the salad. Chop the cucumber and bell pepper. Halve the cherry tomatoes. Thinly slice the red onion. Cut the avocados in half and chop them.
  • Combine all the salad ingredients (except the avocado and goat cheese) and salad dressing and toss to combine. As the avocado and goat cheese are softer than the other ingredients, we’ll add them in the next step and only lightly mix them so that we don’t smash them too much.
  • Add the chopped avocado (scoop it up with a spoon) and goat cheese (crumbled), and give the salad a light mix.
  • Serve the salad in a large bowl or on individual plates as single servings. You should get 4-6 servings for a main or 8-10 side salads.