Quinoa Salad with Spring Vegetables

When she’s cooking at home, The Chew co-host Carla Hall likes to prepare whole-grain salads. “They’re nutritionally awesome and really filling, plus they have a great neutral flavor that’s a blank canvas for anything,” she says. Here, she simmers red quinoa with white wine, tarragon and thyme, then tosses it with radishes, peas and lima beans. “It’s important to drain the cooked quinoa or the finished dish will be watered-down and clumpy,” Hall says. Slideshow: More Quinoa Recipes 

Quinoa Salad with Spring Vegetables
Active Time:
30 mins
Total Time:
30 mins
Yield:
4

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter

  • 1 cup red quinoa, rinsed and drained

  • 1/2 cup white wine

  • 2 tarragon sprigs

  • 2 thyme sprigs

  • 1 cup frozen lima beans

  • 1 cup frozen peas

  • 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

  • 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

  • 2 teaspoons honey

  • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

  • Salt

  • Freshly ground pepper

  • 5 radishes, very thinly sliced

Directions

  1. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter. Add the quinoa and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until toasted, about 2 minutes. Add 11/2 cups of water along with the wine, tarragon and thyme and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer over low heat for 20 minutes, until the quinoa is tender; drain any excess liquid. Discard the herb sprigs. Spread the quinoa on a large rimmed baking sheet and let cool to room temperature.

  2. Meanwhile, fill a large bowl with ice water. In a small saucepan of salted boiling water, cook the lima beans for 2 minutes. Add the peas and cook for 1 minute longer. Drain and immediately transfer the vegetables to the ice bath. When cool, drain again.

  3. In a large bowl, whisk the lemon juice with the mustard, honey and olive oil; season with salt and pepper. Stir in the quinoa, lima beans, peas and radishes and season with salt and pepper. Serve.

Make Ahead

The salad can be refrigerated overnight.

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