Healthy Tomato Avocado Quinoa Salad with Feta

• Produce

  • 1/2 Avocado, whole
  • 1 tbsp Olive oil [to cook with the garlic above
  • 2 tbsp Parsley, fresh
  • 1 tbsp Parsley
  • 3/4 cup Plum or cherry tomatoes

• Canned Goods

  • 1 1/2 cups Water or veggie broth

• Condiments

  • 1 small medium clove Garlic minced into a paste
  • 1 tbsp Lemon juice

• Pasta & Grains

  • 1 cup Quinoa, dry

• Baking & Spices

  • 1 sprinkle Black pepper
  • 1/4 cup Olive oil [or grape seed or avocado oil
  • 1 pinch Salt

• Oils & Vinegars

  • 2 tbsp Red wine vinegar or champagne vinegar

• Dairy

  • 1 oz Feta cheese
  • 1/2 cup Feta cheese

• Other

  • save a little of each to garnish

Found on peasandcrayons.com

Description

Ingredients

• 1 cup dry quinoa
• 1.5 cups water or veggie broth
• 3/4 cup chopped plum or cherry tomatoes
• 1/2 or 1 whole avocado, chopped
• 2 or 3 TBSP fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 oz crumbled feta cheese for topping, optional
• save a little of each to garnish
• for the feta vinaigrette:
• 1/2 cup feta cheese
• 1 small-medium clove of garlic minced into a paste
• 1 TBSP olive oil [to cook with the garlic above]
• 1/4 cup olive oil [or grape seed or avocado oil]
• 2 TBSP red wine vinegar or champagne vinegar
• 1 TBSP lemon juice
• 1 TBSP parsley, or to taste
• sprinkle of black pepper. to taste
• a pinch of salt

Directions

• First rinse + drain your quinoa using a mesh strainer/sieve .
• Bring a medium-small saucepan to medium heat and lightly toast the quinoa to remove any excess water. Stir as it toasts for just a few minutes. This step is optional but really adds to the fluff factor of the quinoa! I rarely skip this step because I love the texture and flavor it yields.
• Next add 1 and 1/2 cups water [or broth!] and bring pot to a boil.
• Once its boiling, reduce heat to low and simmer, covered with the lid slightly ajar, for 12-13 minutes.
• While the quinoa cooks, chop your veggies and set aside.
• Next microwave 1 small-medium clove of garlic in 1 TBSP olive oil and add to a food processor or blender with the rest of your dressing ingredients. Blend until smooth and emulsified, then season and adjust to taste.
• No blender/processor? No problem! You can whisk the ingredients together. For the feta in this case, you may want to smash it into a paste before whisking it into your dressing.
• Once your quinoa is done, season with a teeny bit of salt and pepper, fluff gently with a fork, and set aside to cool.
• Combine cooled quinoa with tomato and parsley.
• Stir in 1/4 cup of your dressing and then gently fold in the chopped avocado.
• Garnish with all the tomato/parsley/feta mixture youd like!
• Add any additional dressing as desired.
• Enjoy!