Whip up this vibrant quinoa salad in minutes. Pistachios and sun-dried tomatoes add crunch and color, and the salad is gluten-free and vegan.
This is a day to celebrate! Liz of The Lemon Bowl is having a baby boy, and a whole group of bloggers are honoring her and her little one with a virtual baby shower, hosted by Kristen of Dine & Dish, Rachel of Rachel Cooks and Sheila of Eat2Gather. To make the shower truly about Liz, we all made recipes with lemon, true to the name of Liz’s blog.
If you are already a fan of Liz’s blog, you’ll know that she went through an amazing weight loss transformation and focuses on healthy, creative recipes that use seasonal ingredients. Right up my alley!
Liz and I have yet to meet in person, but through our online interactions (as bloggers tend to enjoy), I feel as though I know her. She is warm, funny and clearly primed to become the mother to two little boys (her little guy, Asher, is going to be a great big brother).
Congratulations, Liz! Enjoy your virtual shower. I just wish we could do it in person.
This easy salad features one of my favorite grains, quinoa. It is tossed with a handful of shelled pistachios, sun-dried tomatoes and an easy lemon vinaigrette. Healthy and full of flavor, it’s perfect for a baby shower or an easy side dish for your next meal.
Be sure to scroll down to see the list of the amazing dishes that other friends are bringing to the shower.
The recipe:
In a medium saucepan, combine the quinoa and water.
Bring the water to a boil, reduce the heat to low and cover. Cook until all of the water is absorbed, 15 to 20 minutes. Fluff the quinoa with a fork.
Transfer the cooked quinoa to a large baking sheet and spread it out evenly. Let it cool to room temperature.
To the quinoa, add the sun-dried tomatoes, pistachios and parsley. Stir to combine.
In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper.
Pour the dressing over the quinoa salad and stir to combine. Serve or refrigerate, covered, until ready to serve.
Scroll to the bottom for the complete recipe.
Here is what others are bringing to the shower:
Appetizers
- Whipped Feta Spread with Lemon, Garlic & Rosemary by Miss in the Kitchen
- Cauliflower Mashed “Potatoes” in a Lemon Cup with Smoked Paprika by Climbing Grier Mountain
- Lemon Basil Bruschetta by Dine & Dish
- Chipotle Sweet Potato Fries w/ Lemon Basil Aioli by What’s Gaby Cooking
- Lemon Garlic Herb Marinated Olives by Sarah’s Cucina Bella
- Kalamata Olive and Feta Dip with Baked Lemon Pepper Pita Chips by In Aggie’s Kitchen
- Creamy Asparagus Guacamole by The Healthy Apple
Beverages
- Sparkling Honey Rosemary Lemonade by Nutmeg Nanny
- Basil Hibiscus Lemonade by Fabtastic Eats
- Jam Mocktails: Lemon & Pineapple by Cooking with Books
- Lemon Jalapeno Spritzers by Bev Cooks
- Sparkling Blackberry Lemonade by Crumbs and Chaos
- Limonana (Middle Eastern Frozen Mint Lemonade) by An Edible Mosaic
- Tipsy Lemonade Iced Tea by Family Fresh Cooking
Salads
- Kale Salad with Lemon-Tahini Dressing by Thrifty Veggie Mama
- Greek Salad with Garlic-Lemon Vinaigrette by Gimme Some Oven
- Pear Quinoa Salad by Reluctant Entertainer
- Lemon Avocado Salad Dressing by The Lean Green Bean
- Lemony Spinach & Tomato Quinoa Salad by MomAdvice
- Herbed Calamari Salad with Preserved Lemons by Everyday Maven
Main Dish
- Italian Lemon Roast Chicken Pot by Eat2Gather
- Lemon Garlic Shrimp Tostada by A Zesty Bite
- Lemon Pepper Shrimp Linguine by Taste and Tell
- Salmon with Lemon Herb Butter by Handle the Heat
- Lemon Chicken Stew by FoodieCrush
- Chicken Saltimbocca with Lemon Cream Sauce and Olive Orzo by Baker by Nature
Desserts
- Honey Lemon Shortbread Cookies by Rachel Cooks
- Lemon Blueberry Macarons by Chocolate & Carrots
- Lemon Glazed Cookies by A Cedar Spoon
- Healthier Lemon Bars by Texanerin Baking
- Lemon Sugar Cookies by What Megan’s Making
- Light Lemon Mousse by Country Cleaver
- Lemon Sugar Cookie Sandwiches by i am baker
- Mini Lemon Cheesecakes with Gingersnap Crust by The Law Student’s Wife
- Lemon Cupcakes with Lemon Chips by Seeded at the Table
Lemon Quinoa Salad with Pistachios & Sun-Dried Tomatoes
Ingredients
- 1 cup quinoa
- 2 cups water
- 1 1/2 ounces sun-dried tomatoes not packed in oil, sliced (about 1/2 cup)
- 1/4 cup shelled & chopped pistachios
- 1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
- 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon agave nectar or honey
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon ground pepper
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, combine the quinoa and water. Bring the water to a boil, reduce the heat to low and cover. Cook until all of the water is absorbed, 15 to 20 minutes. Fluff the quinoa with a fork.
- Transfer the cooked quinoa to a large baking sheet and spread it out evenly. Let it cool to room temperature.
- To the quinoa, add the sun-dried tomatoes, pistachios and parsley. Stir to combine.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper.
- Pour the dressing over the quinoa salad and stir to combine. Serve or refrigerate, covered, until ready to serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Disclosure: I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
Anamika @ Supplement Crunch
This salad is gorgeous! I love, love, love all that color!
Ceb
What a wonderful dish, love this lemon quinoa salad, healthy as well as delicious.
Thomas
I seriously hate internet recipe commenters. 26 comments and not one can get past the pretty pictures of the page. Okay people, here is what you came to read. Feedback on whether you should try this or if all those pictures were smoke and mirrors to convince you to eat healthy food. This recipe will lead you through a tragic flaw. You really should triple it cause there might not be enough for others. Let me just start by saying, I don’t like people messing with the recipe before trying the original. I feel it is too early to start improvising and could impact the outcome. Well, I did make one change which I think the author would agree wasn’t a bad thing. I added some lemon zest to the dressing. Does it need it? Probably not. Would I do add it again? Oh yeah, it adds a really good punch of lemon. Although I have only made it once, I think this receipes is one of those your can probably eyeball once you have the quinoa cooking. You might also wonder, now that I have made it would I change it? Oh heck yeah! This is truely perfect as it but you could easily add some feta cheese or a dash of heat from spices. The texture is light and fluffy. The flavor is bold with lemon and mild across the other ingredients. You can really taste each, nothing gets lost. This could easily be paried with a sandwich, grilled chicken or steak. If you are vegetarian, I’m not sure you would find this filling. Even if you eat 2 rice bowls full like I just did. Way to go Dara, mighty tasty.
Nutmeg Nanny
This salad looks fantastic!! Pistachios are the perfect touch 🙂
Jessica @ Floptimism
I love the idea of combining pistachios and lemon with sundried tomatoes! The pictures make the salad look so fresh. I wanted to let you know that I featured this post on my blog’s Weekend Wrap Up because I loved it so much. Thank you for another delicious idea, and enjoy your weekend!
Here’s the link to the wrap-up if you’re interested — feel free to stop by and grab a badge, if you like!
http://www.floptimism.com/2013/10/weekend-wrap-up-pumpkin.html#more-1844
Alyssa
Gorgeous! I love everything about this salad Dara. It looks absolutely amazing and your mouthwatering photos are making me want a bite right now!
Erin @ Texanerin Baking
Wow, I never thought I’d see pistachios as pretty. Now I do! 🙂
And this is the most well balanced shower ever. Liz must love it. 🙂
Deborah
This salad looks wonderful, Dara. I’m loving all of the different flavors you have!
Laura (Tutti Dolci)
This salad would make a perfect lunch, love the sun-dried tomatoes!
Kirsten
Dara,
This salad looks delicious, and I think it hits all the notes I want in a salad–crunchy, salty, tangy and tart.
Thanks!