Quinoa Salad with Grilled Vegetables and Feta
Showcasing a medley of summer vegetables, this fresh, vibrant salad is perfect for entertaining. And prep is simple—the vegetables are cooked on a stovetop grill pan, so you don’t have to fire up your grill. To bring out the grains’ nutty flavor, the recipe calls for toasting the quinoa on the stovetop before simmering it in water.
Ingredients:
- 3/4 cup olive oil
- 2 cups quinoa
- 3 1/2 cups water or vegetable stock
- Kosher salt, to taste
- 1 red onion, cut into 1/4-inch rounds
- 2 zucchini, cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch slices
- 2 summer squashes, cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch slices
- Freshly ground pepper, to taste
- 1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
- 1/3 cup fresh basil leaves, larger leaves torn
- 1/3 cup fresh mint leaves, larger leaves torn
- 4 oz. feta cheese, crumbled
Directions:
In a 3 1/2-quart Dutch oven over medium-high heat, warm 1 Tbs. of the olive oil. Add the quinoa and cook, stirring, until lightly toasted, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the water, season with salt and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and simmer until the grains are tender and the water is absorbed, about 15 minutes. Let the quinoa cool.
Meanwhile, preheat a grill pan over medium-high heat. In a large bowl, gently toss together the onion, zucchini, squashes and 3 Tbs. of the olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Working in batches, grill the vegetables, turning once, until nicely grill-marked and tender, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer to a cutting board and let cool slightly, then cut into rough 1/4-inch dice. Add the diced vegetables and the tomatoes to the pot with the quinoa and stir gently to combine.
In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining 1/2 cup olive oil and the lemon juice, and season with salt and pepper. Add the vinaigrette to the quinoa along with basil, mint and half of the cheese and stir to combine. Top with the remaining cheese and serve. Serves 6 to 8.
Williams-Sonoma Kitchen