Heirloom Tomato Basil Quinoa Salad
I love summertime's bounty of fresh produce! I created this recipe while visiting family in the Midwest, where you can actually find a variety of tomatoes this time of year. In the Pacific Northwest the tomatoes are not in abundance until August. Heirloom tomatoes have not been hybridized over the years and have a sweeter taste, but are also generally less resistant to disease, which is why they are not produced on a large scale. Look for them at your local food co-op or Farmer's Market in the summertime.
This salad pairs fresh tomatoes and basil along with cooked quinoa and finely diced sweet onion. Serve it as a light, nutritious lunch or share it at your next potluck picnic. For those of you not familiar with quinoa, it is a nutrient-dense grain packed with all essential amino acids, is gluten-free, and cooks up quite like couscous. It is best if the quinoa cools completely before you make this salad.
Since my children do not like fresh tomatoes, I cook up 3 cups of quinoa and remove a third of it to make a special salad just for them. In place of the tomatoes I use chopped cucumbers and they love it! Everything else stays the same.
Heirloom Tomato Basil Quinoa Salad
This salad is best served within an hour of making it, though it will last in your refrigerator for up to 3 days. If you have a smaller family, I suggest making a half batch of this recipe. If you can't find heirloom tomatoes, use any variety of organic, locally grown. If you can't find sweet onions use 3 to 4 green onions, sliced into thin rounds.
Quinoa
Salad
Quinoa:
- To cook the quinoa, rinse the quinoa in a fine mesh strainer under running water. Drain well.
- Place quinoa into a 2-quart pot, add water and salt; cover and bring to a boil.
- Then reduce heat to low and simmer for about 20 minutes.
- Remove pot from heat and let cool completely before using.
Salad:
- To assemble the salad, place the cooled quinoa into a large bowl and fluff with a fork.
- Add the remaining ingredients and gently toss together.
- Serve.
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Comments
This is delicious! I will be making it for all the potlucks i go to for the rest of the summer!
I made this salad last night and for summer, it is so refreshing! The heirloom tomatoes make it attractive but are so flavorful - sweet! My new favorite quinoa salad!!
Deb
This looks gorgeous, and I really love that wooden bowl! Heirloom tomatoes are so much fun
This is a beautiful salad! We're having it for dinner tomorrow night.
This is beautiful! The perfect colorful dish for summer.