I spent the better part of yesterday lounging around the pool with some of my favorite ladies: two good friends, Candace and Erin; Candace’s little girl, Lizzie; my aunt; my mom; and my youngest cousin, Ashlyn.
My worrisome self got the best of me at 8:30 am when I looked out the window and saw an overcast sky. I quickly called Candace, waking her up, to moan about how the weather wasn’t cooperating with our plans to lay out by the pool.
By 11:00 am, the sun was showing its face and we reverted back to our original plan.
Better safe than sorry, I had whipped up a summary quinoa salad perfect for lunch in or out by the pool.
1 16 oz. can chickpeas, drained
2 1/2 oz. feta cheese
1 cup of corn, cooked (~2 ears)
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 purple bell pepper, chopped*
1 1/2 cup yellow pear tomatoes, halved**
1 small white or yellow onion, chopped
2 large cloves of garlic, minced (~2 Tbsp.)
1 1/2 cup arugula
4 tsp. extra virgin olive oil
3 Tbsp. fresh rosemary, chopped finely
3/4 tsp. sea salt
fresh ground pepper
Cook quinoa in 2 cups of water according to package directions until fluffy and put in a large bowl. Cut corn from ears of corn and add to bowl of quinoa. Add beans and toss well to mix.
Preheat oven to 500 degrees F on the broil setting. Oil two large baking sheets using 1 tsp. of oil for each pan. Toss vegetables with oil (peppers, tomatoes, onion, and garlic) or spray well with a Misto. Place vegetables on the two pans, trying not to let them overlap if possible. Roast for about 10 minutes. Stir the vegetables and flip them with a spatula. Allow to roast an additional 5 minutes, or until they begin to brown. Remove from pan and allow to cool for 10 minutes. Toss vegetables with the quinoa mixture.
Crumble feta cheese and add to the salad. Add arugula, rosemary, salt, and pepper to taste. Toss the salad well and serve slightly chilled or at room temperature.
*May substitute with any color of bell pepper.
** May substitute with any variety of tomato, but cherry tomatoes would make the best substitute.
This salad was a hit. It was light enough to eat in the heat, along with Candace’s super yummy guacamole. But it was filling as well. Did I mention it’s very healthy? Can’t beat that!
My super picky cousin even tried a bite and said she liked it. I think her exact words were, “I like it and I’m picky,” as she tried to persuade little Lizzie to take a bite.
Lizzie (who calls me Aunt Kelly 
) did not take a bite, but loved her mama’s guacamole.
It was a nice day for girl time, pool time, summer time. Needless to say, it was a good time.
yum yum yum! I hope Nicole sees this, remembers I asked her about making quinoa soon, and decides to make it for me
You should email her the link.
I love quinoa, especially the red variety. Salads are my fave way to enjoy quinoa but I’ve seen some great recipes out there lately for quinoa sliders which I’m itching to try. Love finding new ways to enjoy it
I need to do a side by side comparison because I never can tell the difference between red and yellow quinoa, except for their color of course.
I was really surprised when i tried this. There were a lot of flavors going on, and you really nailed it Kelly! Because of the beans and cheese, it felt hardy and filling too. Great flavors babe!
Oh, yum! Next time I need to bring something along for a picnic or potluck, I’d love to make and bring this. Looks delicious!
This sounds so, so good! I can’t wait to try it! I usually put quinoa in stir fry, but this will be a nice twist!
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Oh wow. This contains all the ingredients I absolutely love AND is healthy! Since i’m really trying to find the balance between food i enjoy eating and food that is good for me, i’m really happy with this recipe. I’m going to keep an eye on this website from now on!
Yay! I love new readers…I actually love all readers, but new readers are exciting.