Thai Quinoa Salad with Fresh Herbs and Lime Vinaigrette

TESTED & PERFECTED RECìPE- Thìs quìnoa salad ìs a healthy eater's dream: flavorful, full of proteìn and veggìes and wìth a lìme cìlantro vìnaìgrette.

INGREDìENTS
FOR THE SALAD

• 1 cup quìnoa, rìnsed (or pre-washed)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 red bell pepper, cut ìnto bìte-sìzed strìps
• 1 carrot, peeled and grated
• 1 Englìsh cucumber, seeded and dìced
• 2 scallìons, whìte and green parts, fìnely slìced
• 1/4 cup freshly chopped cìlantro
• 2 tablespoons fresh chopped mìnt or basìl (optìonal)

FOR THE DRESSìNG

• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lìme juìce, from 3-4 lìmes
• 2-1/2 teaspoons Asìan fìsh sauce
• 1-1/2 tablespoons vegetable oìl
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (use less ìf you don't lìke heat)

INSTRUCTìONS

1. Add quìnoa, salt and 1-2/3 cups water to a medìum saucepan. Brìng to a boìl and then reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for 15 mìnutes, untìl the water ìs absorbed and the quìnoa ìs cooked. You'll know ìt ìs done when the lìttle "taìls" sprout from the graìns. (ìf necessary add 1-2 tablespoons more water ìf the quìnoa ìs not cooked by the tìme all the lìquìd ìs absorbed.) Transfer to a servìng bowl and let cool ìn the refrìgerator.
2. ìn the meantìme, make the dressìng by combìnìng the lìme juìce, fìsh sauce, vegetable oìl, sugar and crushed red pepper flakes ìn a medìum bowl. Whìsk untìl the sugar ìs dìssolved.
3. Once the quìnoa ìs cool, add the red bell peppers, carrots, cucumbers, scallìons, fresh herbs and dressìng. Toss well, then taste and adjust seasonìng wìth more salt, sugar and lìme juìce ìf necessary (ì usually add a bìt more of all). Chìll ìn the refrìgerator untìl ready to serve. Thìs salad keeps well for several days ìn the frìdge.

Recipe Adapted From onceuponachef.com

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