Curry Quinoa Salad

I’m so stoked about this salad! I get a lot of requests on how to jazz up quinoa and this recipe really gets the job done. A friend shared this and I made it at our Ladies’ Night that I hosted a few weeks back and it is just so so yummy!

It’s loosely based off of Ina Garten’s Curry Couscous salad (LOVE The Barefoot Contessa) but this one uses quinoa instead of couscous to up the protein, fiber and all around nutrition. Couscous is actually a gluten-containing pasta and is pretty void of any nutrients. Quinoa on the other hand is full of good nutrition; the rest of the ingredients in this Curry Quinoa Salad are good for you, too.

This salad actually gets better the longer it sits–I always love it on day two. A serving is about 1/2 cup, and you can also toss it with your favorite greens to make an ever bigger meal. Make a big batch and you’ll have something delicious and healthy to eat all week.
Superfood Curry Quinoa Salad Recipe
Total time: 20 minutes + time to rest
Makes about 8 servings
Ingredients:
For the quinoa:

3/4 cup dried quinoa, rinsed well
    1/2 teaspoon sea salt
    1/2 teaspoon mild yellow curry powder
    1 cup + 1/4 cup purified water
Dressing:

    1/4 cup plain Greek Yogurt (I used Chobani)
    1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
    1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
    3/4 teaspoon mild yellow curry powder
    1/4 teaspoon turmeric
    1/2 teaspoon sea salt
    1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Veggies + Nuts:

    1/2 cup diced carrots (about 2 small or 1 large carrot)
    1/4 cup thinly sliced scallions, white and green parts
    1/3 cup dried currants (or substitute raisins)
    1/3 cup slivered almonds (roasted cashews are a good substitute too)
    2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

Recipe: Prepare the quinoa first. Place the quinoa in a fine mesh strainer or colander and rinse well until the water runs clear, about 30 seconds. Let the quinoa drain for a few seconds, then add the rinsed quinoa, salt, curry powder and water to a medium saucepan. Bring it to a boil, then cover and reduce to a simmer. Set a timer for 12 minutes. Check at 11 minutes—it will be done once all of the water is absorbed. Be careful not to let it go too long and burn to the pan. Once all of the water is absorbed, turn the heat off and fluff it with a fork. 3/4 cup dried quinoa will yield 1.5 cups cooked.
While the quinoa cooks, whisk all of the dressing ingredients in the bottom of a large mixing bowl big enough to hold the entire salad then prepare the veggies. I find making the dressing and prepping the veggies is about the perfect amount of time to let the quinoa cook. Once the quinoa is cooked, add it while it’s hot to the dressing, then add the veggies and fold it all together. Let it sit at least 30 minutes in the refrigerator to cool. Will keep in an airtight glass container in the refrigerator up to 4 days.
Tip: If you already have 1.5 cups of prepared quinoa, just add the extra 1/2 teaspoon of salt and curry powder to the dressing. This salad is delicious if you can prepare the quinoa from scratch and flavor it as it cooks, but it will come together super quick and easy if you already have quinoa prepared.
Yummy day!
Lorene Hochstetler