Strawberry & feta two-colour quinoa salad with pistachio pesto

Here’s a quinoa salad that features our fabulous local strawberries and a very simple combination of delicious ingredients.
There are only five steps and it will keep for a few days in the refrigerator. It makes an excellent side dish and a great lunch. Also, it’s the perfect dish to bring to a BBQ potluck.
- ServesServes 4-6
- Prep time10 min
- Cook time15 min
- Timeout-
- FreezingFreezes well
Ingredients
- 1 cup quinoa (I like to mix red and white)
- 2 cups water
- 1 avocado, diced
- 1/2 cup feta cheese, diced
- 1 cup strawberries, sliced
- Olive oil
- Parmesan cheese, for serving (optional)
- Salt and pepper, to taste
For the pesto
- 1/2 cup pistachios
- 1/4 cup fresh basil
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup peanut oil
Replacement optionsor other vegetable oil
- Juice and zest of 1/2 lemon
- 2 tablespoons water
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Steps
- Rinse the quinoa thoroughly under cold water until the foam disappears.
- Heat the olive oil in a pot and add the quinoa. Coat well. Season, add water, and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for 15 minutes or until the quinoa has absorbed all the liquid. Transfer to a salad bowl.
- Add the avocado, feta cheese, and strawberries and mix well. Set aside.
- Put all the pesto ingredients, aside from the water, in a food processor. Process until it reaches a crumbly texture. Add water and process again. Adjust the seasoning and pour over the quinoa.
- Serve with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
Recipe published on August 19, 2018