Quinoa Salad - Light, Colorful and Delicious
Parties and social gatherings are a great opportunity to serve a quinoa salad simple that will delight with its taste, colors, and texture. If you're wondering how to make a quinoa salad, the best version combines delicate quinoa and bulgur with crispy green beans, sweet canned peas, and the expressive, slightly spicy notes of chili pepper paste. Fresh mint leaves add a refreshing accent, and salted peanuts give the salad an unusual crunch. The whole thing is drizzled with olive oil and lemon juice, which emphasizes the flavor and adds lightness. This quinoa salad Mediterranean style brings out the best of fresh ingredients and bold flavors. Thanks to the presence of both groats and vegetables, this light quinoa salad easy to prepare is filling but does not burden the stomach, making it perfect for longer feasting. This quinoa salad dishes option is a hit and can be served in a large bowl for sharing or in elegant individual portions, ideal for parties. If you are looking for an idea for a tasty and impressive dish, this version of a party salad will be a hit!
Quinoa salad recipe for a party
Ingredients
Salad ingredients
- 1 cup quinoa
- 1 cup bulgur
- 400 g green beans
- A can of canned peas
- A handful of fresh mint leaves
- 6 tablespoons salted peanuts
Dressing ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Juice from ½ lemon
- ½ teaspoon chili pepper paste
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
Boil water in two separate pots. Pour the quinoa into one and the bulgur into the other. Cook the quinoa according to the package instructions for about 15 minutes and the bulgur for 10 minutes. Both ingredients should absorb all the water and become loose. Once cooked, remove from the heat and leave to cool.
Wash the beans, cut off the ends and cut into short pieces (about 3 cm). Bring a pot of water to a boil, add a pinch of salt and throw in the beans. Cook for 3-4 minutes, until slightly soft but still firm and crunchy. Drain and immediately rinse with cold water to retain the nice green color.
Drain the peas and rinse them in a sieve under cold water. Wash the mint leaves and pat dry the fresh mint, then chop them finely or tear them into smaller pieces with your fingers.
If the peanuts are whole, they can be lightly chopped to make them easier to spread in the salad. You can also leave them whole for extra crunch.
In a small bowl, combine olive oil, lemon juice, and chili paste. Season with salt and pepper to taste. The dressing should be well mixed so that the ingredients combine perfectly.
Cooked quinoa and bulgur. Then add cooked beans, canned peas, chopped mint and peanuts. Pour the prepared dressing over everything and mix gently so that each ingredient is well covered with sauce.
Leave the salad for 10-15 minutes to let the flavors meld. If you're making it for a party, you can put it in the fridge for about 30 minutes, which will make it even more aromatic and refreshing.
The salad is perfect as a stand-alone dish at a party or as an addition to other dishes. It goes great with grilled vegetables, hummus, falafel or roasted chicken. It can also be served with crispy bread, e.g. garlic baguette or toast with olive oil. It is also a great choice for people on a plant-based diet, because it contains full-value protein from quinoa and bulgur, healthy fats from olive oil and a large amount of fiber. Thanks to the nuts and chili paste, the salad has a slightly spicy and crunchy accent, which makes it stand out from classic party salads.
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