Green Pesto Quinoa Salad
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked quinoa prepared in advance
- 1 cup basil coarsely chopped
- 1 clove garlic peeled and coarsely chopped
- 2½ tablespoons pine nuts optional: toasted
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2½ tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
- Salt
- 1 cucumber peeled, seeded, and diced
- ½ pint cherry tomatoes
- Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Combine the basil, garlic, pine nuts, olive oil, Parmesan, and a pinch of salt in a blender and whiz until you have a smooth, glistening pesto. You should have about ½ cup. Start by folding just a couple of tablespoons of pesto into the cooked quinoa and have a taste. Add more until it’s just right for you. Throw in the cucumber and cherry tomatoes, toss the whole lot together well, and season to taste with salt and pepper. We have found that chopped red onions, bell peppers, chickpeas, feta, and grated lemon zest are fun additions if you fancy adding some more crunch and zip to this salad.
Notes
This recipe can easily be doubled for larger groups. Pesto freezes well, so consider making the pesto portion of this recipe ahead of time and freezing it for future use.
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