Mediterranean Quinoa Salad with Olives, Basil and Sun-dried Tomatoes
A bright, savory quinoa salad with sun-dried tomatoes, olives, basil, pine nuts and Parmesan.
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients
- 1 to 1 1/2 cups quinoa use a certified gluten-free brand
- 3 cups vegetable or chicken stock optional, for cooking quinoa
- 1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes packed, drained and chopped (oil-packed)
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1/4 cup Kalamata olives chopped
- 1/2 cup artichoke hearts quarters, marinated
- 1/2 cup pine nuts toasted
- 1/2 cup fresh basil chopped
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese freshly grated
- 2 cloves garlic large, minced
Instructions
- Rinse the quinoa under cold water, then combine with stock or salted water in a saucepan using about twice the liquid as quinoa; bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer until tender, about 15–20 minutes.
- Drain any excess liquid from the cooked quinoa using a fine-mesh sieve or colander, then transfer the quinoa to a large bowl and let it cool slightly.
- Add the chopped sun-dried tomatoes, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, chopped Kalamata olives, and marinated artichoke quarters to the warm quinoa and toss to combine; let the mixture sit until it cools to room temperature.
- Stir in the toasted pine nuts, chopped basil, grated Parmesan, and minced garlic until evenly distributed.
- Taste and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper as desired, then serve.
Equipment
- Saucepan
- fine-mesh sieve or colander
- large mixing bowl
- Measuring cups and spoons
- spoon or spatula
Notes
- Use gluten-free certified quinoa if needed.
- Toast pine nuts in a dry pan over medium heat until fragrant.
- Drain excess oil from sun-dried tomatoes if they are very oily.
- Let the salad cool to room temperature before adding basil to preserve its color.