Thai Quinoa Salad with a Trio of Fresh Herbs
Thai Quinoa Salad with a Trio of Fresh Herbs
Hot. Sweet. Tart. Crunchy. This vibrant Thai-inspired salad has a lot of things going for it in the flavor and texture departments. Fresh raw vegetables keep it light and crisp, while tender quinoa makes it substantial enough to be a meal on its own. A generous handful of fresh herbs packs a taste bud-tingling punch that's elevated even more by the spicy dressing. This salad can also be served chilled.
Ingredients
For the Dressing
- 2 tbsp fish sauce
- 2 tbsp toasted sesame oil
- 2 tbsp packed brown sugar
- 1 tbsp sriracha
- 1 tbsp minced ginger
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 6 medium limes, juiced
For the Salad
- 4 cups water
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 2 cups uncooked quinoa SEE NOTE
- 1 large carrot, shredded or diced
- 1 medium bell pepper, diced
- 1 medium English cucumber, diced
- 4 scallions, chopped
- ½ cup cilantro leaves, chopped
- ½ cup mint leaves, chopped
- ½ cup basil leaves, chopped (preferably Thai basil but regular is fine if that's all you can find)
Instructions
For the Dressing
- Whisk all of the ingredients in a small bowl until the sugar is dissolved and ingredients are well blended. Transfer to a lidded container and chill for up to 3 days.
For the Salad
- Bring the water and salt to a boil in a small saucepan.
- Stir in the quinoa. Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for about 15 minutes, until all of the liquid is absorbed and the quinoa is tender. (Quinoa is fully cooked when the tiny spirals, or the germ, are separated from and curled around the seeds.)
- Remove the saucepan from the heat and let stand, covered, for 5 minutes. Transfer the quinoa to a large bowl, fluff with a fork, and let cool.
- Add the carrot, bell pepper, cucumber, scallion, cilantro, mint, and basil to the quinoa in the bowl.
- Pour in the dressing and toss to coat.
Notes
*This recipe assumes you are using regular quinoa, however you can just as easily make it with quick cook quinoa. Follow the instructions on the package to cook the quinoa and then follow the rest of the recipe as is.
MIX IT UP
Experiment with other vegetables in the salad for different flavors and textures, such as shelled edamame, grape tomatoes, and baby greens. If you have leftover cooked chicken from last night's dinner, shred it up and toss it in with the vegetables and herbs.
From The New Camp Cookbook: Gourmet Grub for Campers, Road Trippers, and Adventurers by Linda Ly (pages 75-76).