Since I’ve become more aware of all the amazing quinoa health benefits, I’m always on the lookout for delicious new Quinoa Recipes.
One of the best I have ever made was this fantastic Tomato Mint Quinoa Salad. The ingredient list looked a bit crazy to me at first and it seemed like such a mad mess. But after combining them all together, all I can say O M G. It was truly amazing. The mint, the raisins, the lime, the toasted almond slices, the sesame oil – all the textures and flavors combine to create a delicious and nutrient rich quinoa salad recipe.
And in case you aren’t familiar with the health benefits of quinoa, here’s a little bit of info: What makes quinoa such a healthy option is the protein it provides. The protein quality of quinoa is considered to be on par with the protein quality of milk. This is because quinoa, unlike most grains, includes all of the eight essential amino acids that are needed for tissue growth and repair.
Not only is the “mother of all grains” high in protein, but it is also incredibly low in fat. Also, quinoa is high in manganese, which acts as a disease and cancer fighting antioxidant in the body. Other vital nutrients that quinoa provides are magnesium, fiber, calcium, riboflavin, copper, and potassium. Because quinoa is protein-packed, it presents vegetarians with an awesome alternative to the proteins found in meat.
Additionally, quinoa provides an alternative to those who are allergic to wheat and who are suffering from Celiac disease. This is because the super seed is entirely gluten free. So, if you are a quinoa virgin, you now have a million and one reasons why you should give it a try. And this recipe would be a fantastic option to be your first quinoa dish.
Enjoy!
Tomato Mint Quinoa Salad Recipe
Equipment
- 1 Saucepan
Ingredients
- 1 cup quinoa
- 2 cups water
- 3 to matoes - diced
- 1 medium onion - diced
- 1 cup radishes - quartered and sliced
- 1 cucumber - diced
- ⅓ cup raisins
- ¼ cup almond slices - toasted
- ¼ cup lime juice
- ½ cup fresh mint - finely chopped
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 tbsp fresh parsley - finely chopped
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp salt - or more to taste
- ½ tsp black pepper
- Zest from ½ a lime
Instructions
- Bring water to boil in a small saucepan. Pour in quinoa, raisins, and a pinch of salt. Cover, and let simmer for 12 to 15 minutes, then remove from heat, and allow to cool to room temperature.
- In a large bowl, toss together the tomatoes, onion, radish, cucumber, lime zest and almonds in a large bowl.
- Add in the cooled quinoa, then stir in the mint, parsley, cumin, lime juice, sesame oil, and salt & pepper. Chill for 1 hour prior to serving.
3 Comments
Delish! I happened to have extra cilantro sitting around, and some colored peppers! The fresh lime juice is a must (I made another batch with bottled lime juice… and not as good).
This was amazing, the lime juice gave it such a fresh summer taste. I left out the radishes, almonds and raisins and used couscous (which is actually one point less than quinoa) and it was delicious. It makes a lot, too, and would be perfect to take to summer pot lucks.
Incredible. I love it. Just made it and can’t stay out of it.