This quinoa salad is my ideal lunch! It’s filling, it’s fresh, and it’s so yummy. There is something about the warm quinoa in this salad that makes it so satisfying!
Pesto Quinoa Salad
Ingredients
Pesto Dressing
- 1 cup packed basil leaves
- 1/2 cup pine nuts
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Salad
- arugula
- chopped tomatoes
- chopped cucumber
- toasted pine nuts
- kalamata olives
- 2 cups cooked quinoa
Instructions
For the dressing:
- Lightly toast the nuts in a skillet over medium heat for 5 minutes.
- Place all ingredients except for oil in a small food processor. Leave some of the toasted pine nuts out to put on top of the salad.
- Slowly incorporate the oil while the machine is running, until a smooth paste has formed. Continue blending for 15 seconds to thin the sauce out.
For the salad:
- Mix cooked quinoa and 1/2 of the pesto together.
- Arrange veggies in a bowl, then add quinoa mixture to the top of the salad.
- Top with toasted pine nuts and drizzle some of the remaining pesto on top of the sald.
- Enjoy.
Notes
I personally avoid corn products, but if you do corn, corn is a really yummy addition to this salad!
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