Are you looking for ways to include quinoa in your diet? Or have you run out of ideas on how to eat quinoa? Try this tasty quinoa salad recipe, which uses an aromatic tomato dressing to add an Italian twist to your Quinoa Salad. You can customize this salad by choosing the veggies of your choice. And you can get creative and use this dressing for other recipes like Bruschetta. In the meanwhile, enjoy this delicious low-carb salad.
Ingredients:
1 medium onion, long chopped
1/2 medium carrot, long sliced
1/4 medium green capsicum
1/4 medium red bell pepper, long chopped
1/4 medium yellow bell pepper, long chopped
3/4 cup boiled quinoa
15-20 roasted and crushed peanuts
(Note: You may add or remove vegetables in the salad as per your choice. You may
For dressing:
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
2 small garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/4 tsp chilli flakes
1/4 tsp dry oregano powder
1/4 tsp dry basil powder
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 tsp salt
2 tsp olive oil
1 tsp lemon juice
Serving: 4
Nutrition Value (per serving):
Energy: 79 kcal
Protein: 3 gm
Carbs: 7 gm
Fats: 5 gm
Fibre: 3 gm
Method:
Put the chopped vegetables and quinoa in your salad bowl.
Put the ingredients for the dressing in another bowl and mix well. Microwave the mixture for one minute (or, you can put them in a pan and sauté for around a minute). Add lemon juice.
Add the dressing over the vegetables and quinoa in the salad bowl.
Add the peanuts on top.
Your Italian Quinoa Salad is ready!
Know Your Ingredients:
Quinoa
Quinoa is native to South America, where it has been consumed for thousands of years. It is a gluten-free pseuo-cereal that offers a range of health benefits. It is one of the few plant sources of complete protein, containing all nine essential amino acids. It is also rich in fibre. 100 gm of quinoa contains around 14 gm fibre. Quinoa is also rich in antioxidants and in minerals like iron, calcium and magnesium. It has a low glycemic index, making it good for blood sugar control. Due to all these properties, quinoa is considered useful for metabolic health and weight loss.
Carrot
Carrots are a rich resource of various vitamins and minerals. Being rich in beta-carotene, carrots are an important source of vitamin A. Due to the presence of antioxidants, carrots are good for heart health and help fight harmful free radicals in the body, which may reduce the likelihood of getting cancer. They are also rich in potassium, and therefore help maintain blood pressure.
Tomato
Tomato is biologically a fruit, although it is treated as a vegetable in food preparations. Tomato is a versatile food, which is a common ingredient in Indian cooking, and is widely used in other cuisines as well. Besides adding a tangy taste to the food, tomatoes also add to its nutrition value. They are rich in vitamins A and C and other antioxidants, making them good for boosting immunity and for healthy skin and hair. Tomatoes contain carotenoids such as lutein and lycopene, which can protect the eye against light-induced damage. Lycopene in tomatoes is also considered to control the growth of cancer cells. Tomatoes can be eaten raw, but cooked tomatoes are nutritious as well because cooking increases the lycopene content. Tomatoes also help reduce cholesterol, control blood sugar level and improve heart health. Tomatoes are also considered to aid fat-burning, and are therefore good for weight loss.
Peanut
Peanuts are rich in protein, good quality fat, and various healthy nutrients. The protein content ranges from 22–30% of its total calories, making peanuts a great source of plant-based protein.