Sunshine Quinoa Salad

I’m currently sitting on my couch wrapped in a cozy blanket and dreaming of sunshine. I guess I’ll have to settle for a quinoa salad instead ?

Salads are a favorite of mine. Usually my salad has some type of leafy green, but I’m a fan of grain salads as well. Quiona isn’t technically a grain, it’s a seed. It fits here, though. And it’s nutritious and filling. There are plenty of vegetables in this salad. Thanks to the amazing dressing, it doesn’t really taste like it. For real.

It’s cold and gray outside, with about a foot of snow on the ground. A foot of snow is a lot here. I need something fresh and sunny in my life. I am not a beach person. I will go. But it would never be my first choice for a trip. Unless of course, it’s the middle of winter. Then I’m all for going to the beach.

Since sunshine doesn’t seem to be in my near future, I came up with this salad instead. No, it’s not a beach, or a beautiful spring day. But it’s fresh-tasting, healthy, and bright, and summery. It will have to do.

The salad itself is made up of red quinoa, red peppers, edamame, and some almonds and coconut for crunch. The dressing, however, is where the sunshine comes from. With citrus, honey, and a touch of garlic, it’s perfect for making you at least feel like there’s more to the world than gray skies and cold.

You can use white quinoa of course. I have made the same salad with white. It’s just not as pretty. It’s also more difficult to find, and when you do it’s more expensive. If you close your eyes and eat it, you will still be transferred to sunnier days.