Recipe: Green Bean Quinoa Salad

In the Fall, my thoughts turn to braising and bread and crumbles.  I think Fall is my favourite season for cooking (and eating).  There's something so cozy, methodical and comforting about all of it.  But sometimes, you need a break from all that comfort.  Sometimes, your palette needs a refresher.  When I feel like I need a little Summer, this is my go-to.

I discovered this recipe this Summer when I was looking for something to make-ahead for a BBQ.  Thanks to the wonderful website Everybody Likes Sandwiches for bringing this one to my table.

What you'll need:

1 cup quinoa
2 cups vegetable stock
3 cups green beans, trimmed and cut into bite sized peices
1/2 red onion, diced
1 cup fresh corn or thawed frozen corn
handfuls of fresh chives & parsley, chopped
1 lemon, juiced & zested
1/2 cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed
salt & pepper
1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled

1. In a dry pan, toast the quinoa until it gets golden and start to jump around. Remove from heat and rinse well under cold water. Meanwhile, in a medium sized pot, add the stock and bring to a boil. Add the rinsed quinoa to the stock and simmer for about 20 minutes or until the quinoa is dry and fluffy.

2. In another pot, steam the green beans until bright green but still crisp. Rinse well under cold water to prevent further cooking.

3. Mix the lemon juice, zest, garlic, olive oil, salt & pepper into a dressing. Place the quinoa, green beans, corn, red onion and fresh herbs into a serving bowl and toss with the dressing. Chill until cool. Garnish with crumbled feta cheese.

Modifications:

I've done this without the corn and it is still lovely. When I did use the corn, it was corn that we had charred on the BBQ. Once you eat corn that way, there's no going back. I also use the kind of quinoa you don't have to toast and rinse first.

Verdict:

Fantastic, super, super yummy. This is a great dish for entertaining and it is also a wonderful stand alone lunch. It keeps well and in fact, I think it might taste even better on the second day.

Thanks again, Everybody Likes Sandwiches. I like you guys!