Switch up your boring salad with this fun, delicious caprese salad!
Salad recipes tend to be bland and boring. They feature predictable vegetables and toppings, which means unless you are a die-hard salad lover, salad ennui will set in quickly. Luckily, this Caprese Quinoa Salad jazzes things up and makes salad exciting again. Healthy salads are a great option for lunch, dinner, or even a snack, and this is one of the best.
Quinoa is one of the best foods for people interesting in improving their diet. It is a grain, but it contains all of the essential amino acids, making it a great vegetarian source of protein. It is a great substitute for pasta or rice, but also makes a great salad base. It’s a super food and we love it for so many reasons.
In addition to the quinoa, this salad has a special Italian flair. You’ll love the crisp, fresh flavor of basil and tomato in this heart salad. If you are looking for a dish your family will request, especially during the warmer summer months, this is a great option!
Skinny Ms. recently released a new Quinoa Recipe eBook with scrumptious dishes like, Enchiladas Verde, Asian Stir-Fry and even Apple Crumb Cake…all made with what might be the world’s most perfect food, Quinoa.
We’re excited to have this delicious super food recipe contributed by our good friend Mimi of Heavenly Healthy.
Caprese Quinoa Salad
Ingredients
- 1 cup quinoa dry, rinse well, and cook according package directions
- 15 1/2 ounces garbanzo beans drained
- 1 tomato chopped
- 1 cucumber chopped
- 2 garlic cloves diced
- 5 basil leaves large, sliced, or 10 small
- 1 teaspoon ginger root grated
- 1 lemon juiced
- 2 baby carrots diced
- 1 cup broccoli sprouts optional
- 1 cup low-fat mozzarella cheese chopped, or you can also use feta cheese
- salt and pepper to taste
- extra virgin olive oil to taste
- balsamic vinegar to taste
Instructions
- Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl. Refrigerate for about 30 minutes before serving.
Nutrition Information
Have you made this recipe?
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Where do you get lemon grass and ginger paste?
Marianne, Lemongrass can be found in the spice section. Ground ginger will work if you can't find paste. Thanks!
where can i find the recipe for your southwestern quinoa salad? i have made it twice before and love it, but can not find the recipe now….
Misty, We don’t have a Southwestern Quinoa Salad…sorry! Sounds like one I’ll have make. 🙂
I just searched for it and found it, first try.
Misty, maybe you are thinking about the "Quinoa with Black Beans". It is southwestern and really really good. I make it every other week. You can find it here just search for that title.
Quinoa is awesome–so good for you and so easy to make. But where do you go to buy all of these specialty ingredients? Thanks!
Kali, Lemongrass and ginger can be found in the spice section. Ground ginger will work in place of ginger paste. Thanks!
I love quinoa and caprese both….can't wait to try this!
Lemongrass is mentioned a few times in the Q&A's but I don't see it mentioned in the recipe. Is it supposed to be in it?
It was in the recipe but was replaced because it’s such a hard to find item. The recipe works great with the ingredients listed.
This is really good. I was surprised at how much salt it took, but I really like what the flavors do together. Thanks!
I made this for supper tonight and it was FANTASTIC! Incredibly flavorful. Was able to find fat-free feta cheese, which made it perfect. It's a pain to chop all the veggies with an arthritic hand, but it was soooooo worth it.