Strawberry Mint Quinoa Salad (Oil-free, GF)

Summertime, and the living is straightforward with my strawberry mint quinoa salad! With a bright lime dressing and crunch from cucumber and almonds, this high protein, gluten-free, oil-free, vegan salad makes dinner satisfying with ease.

Every food blog needs an interjection of hilarity from time to time. Mine most often comes from kitchen mishaps: a soup explosion on the ceiling (be careful pureeing those hot soups in the blender!), a gray strawberry cheesecake (thank you aluminum springform pan), or a black bean pound cake (this deserves a post of its own…to be continued).

How sweet it is to instead have the merriment fall in one’s lap with no effort and no wasted groceries.

It began innocently enough. I had fruit. I wanted fruit salad. I googled for inspiration.

I did not find it. But I did find this:Candle Salad.Behold:

I nearly fell off my chair in a fit of giggles. The vertical banana…the cherry… the whipped cream, for heaven’s sake! A bit of investigating and I discovered that this was a recipe developed in the fifties for a children’s cookbook:Betty Crocker’s Cookbook for Boys & Girls, circa 1957. Oy vey!

OK, I’ll cut it out and get on with the cooking. (And you thought I was a serious sort. Ha! I am happy to burst that bubble). I decided to turn my fruit bounty, notably my strawberries into a high-protein meal rather than a side. Specifically, a quinoa salad with cucumbers, strawberries, almonds and mint.

Recipe Benefits

• High protein (7 grams protein per serving)
• High fiber
• Vegan (dairy-free, egg-free)
• Gluten-free
• Oil-free
• Straightforward to prepare

Ingredients

The exact amounts of each ingredient are indicated in the recipe card at the end of the post.Toggle betweenUS Customary(volume) andMetric(weights) for preferred measurement option.

• quinoa
• limes (you will use both the lime juice and grated lime zest)
• hothouse (English) cucumber
• fresh strawberries
• roasted, lightly salted whole almonds, coarsely chopped
• fresh mint leaves

You will also need some water, for cooking the quinoa, I recommend adding salt, too, but it is optional/adjustable according to your needs and preferences.

What is Quinoa

Quinoa is a considered a “superfood” by nutritionists because it is one of the only plants that provides all of the essential amino acids (making it a complete protein). It is typically sold as a grain, but technically it is a seed, classified as a “pseudocereal.”

Quinoa–which has a pleasant earthy, nutty flavor and is naturally gluten-free– is as fast and straightforward to cook as rice, and incredibly versatile, too.

You can eat quinoa as a porridge, a pudding, stir it into baked goods, serve as a side dish, or toss with a host of other satisfying, wholesome ingredients for all varieties of salads, as I’ve done here.

Step by Step Instructions

Note that the complete instructions are also in the recipe card below.

1. In a medium saucepan, combine quinoa and water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand for 10 minutes.
2. Fluff the quinoa with fork, transfer to a large bowl and let cool completely.
3. Add the lime zest, lime juice, and salt to the quinoa; toss to combine. Add the cucumber, strawberries, almonds and mint. Gently toss to combine.

With the crunch of fresh cucumbers and roasted almonds, the lush, bright flavor of the strawberries, and the exotic flavor of mint, this is a summer salad to remember (and, unlike candle salad, you’ll remember it for all of the right reasons!).

Storage

The salad is reliable eaten right away. However, leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 1 day.

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