And here it is. The second blog post in my “Lunchbox-series” on this blog! This quinoa salad is ideal for preparing in advance and in addition to that your body will love your for it as it’s super healthy and nourishing. I made a mediterranean version here but of course there are endless options to prepare a quinoa salad. Make sure to continue reading for the recipe and some tips and tricks…
One of the many things I love about quinoa is that is tastes good cold as well. With this characteristic it is a perfect candidate for lunch boxes and I love to experiment with it. If you want to add a little extra kick to this lunch box, give the quinoa balls a try. You can easily prepare a big batch and keep them in the fridge, ready to grab whenever you need a snack or want to fancy up your food. As alternative you can for example use legumes like chickpeas and kidney beans.
About those legumes…
Speaking of legumes – many seem to avoid them because they fear bloating. In general this might be the case. HOWEVER, the digestion gets used to legumes with increasing consumption. If you’re only starting to eat legumes at all, start with small portion sizes and work your way up. This will help your body to get used to them and all the fiber they have.
Maybe you are asking yourself now why you should eat legumes at all. Beside the fact that they are quite low in fat and high in protein they are a great source of many essential vitamins and minerals. Especially B-vitamins are contained in sufficient amounts.
For those of you who aren’t convinced yet I have another tip. Apple cider vinegar can help digest legumes. Try to take 1 tbs apple cider vinegar before or after your meal with legumes and there shouldn’t be a problem anymore.
The right dressing
After rambling a bit we are now moving on to the dressing. In this case I chose a yoghurt-dressing (vegan of course). It is quite easy to take-away and made within a minute. Of course a good balsamic-dressing or an orange-mustard-dressing also go really well with this salad and are always an option.
This Quinoa-Salat is…
- vegan
- ideal for take-away
- suitable for any buffet or party
- super nutritious
If you want to try the recipe feel free to leave me a comment down below! In case your are posting a picture on instagram don’t forget to tag me with @sheloveseating so that I don’t miss it. For those of you who need a little more lunch box inspiration, check out my crispy sandwiches with baked tofu.
Quinoa Salad with Yoghurt-Dressing
Ingredients
- 80 g quinoa red or white
- a handful cherry tomatoes
- 1 bell pepper
- 1/2 can chickpeas
- fresh parsley
- 3-4 quinoa balls*
For the dressing
- 4 tbs soy yoghurt
- 1 tbs white balsamic vinegar
- 1 tbs nutritional yeast
- 1/2 tsp mixed herbs
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cook the quinoa as described on the packaging and let cool down. Meanwhile cut bell pepper and cherry tomatoes into cubes. Rinse and drain the chickpeas.
- As soon as the quinoa is cooled down, combine all ingredients in a suitable lunch box.
- For the yoghurt-dressing simply mix the ingredients listed above, add salt and pepper to taste and store separately in or outside of the lunchbox until you eat the salad.