Quinoa Vegetable Salad

I had to accompany Ben to the Chinese Visa Office to apply his visa for his next business trip to Beijing. So, I only managed to get to the South Arm Seniors Kitchen just after 11:00AM.

Quinoa-Vegetable-Salad-3

I was so surprised that the group had finished cooking and had started to eat already. I managed to take some photos of the food before I sat down to savour the food.

Quinoa is said to have more calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, zinc and Vitamin E than any other grain. Technically, quinoa is not a grain but a seed. It is very similar to animal-based protein, as it contains all 8 essential amino acids.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups quinoa
  • 4 cups water
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • pinch of pepper
  • 2 tablespoons red wine or balsamic vinegar
  • 1 large red pepper, finely chopped
  • 2 carrots, shredded
  • 1 stalk celery, finely diced
  • 4 green onions, finely chopped
  • 1/2 cup fresh, chopped cilantro
  • 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 1 1/4 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 1 clove garlic, finely minced

Quinoa-Vegetable-Salad-2

Source: via Colleen


Instructions

  1. In a fine sieve, carefully rinse quinoa with cold water and drain well. Place quinoa, water, salt and pepper in a medium saucepan. Over high heat, bring to a boil. Turn heat down to low and let simmer, covered, for 17 minutes. Remove from heat, uncover pot and let cool completely.
  2. In a large bowl, place red pepper, carrots, celery, green onions, and cilantro. Once quinoa has cooled, toss together with vegetable mixture.
  3. In a small bowl, whisk the vinegar, lime juice, cumin, garlic and olive oil. Pour over salad mixture and toss until vinaigrette is evenly distributed. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Colleen also shared the following nutritional value comparison between millet, quinoa and brown rice by Dr. Decuypere’ Nutrient Charts.

The comparison is based on 100grams cooked grain.

Nutrition Millet Quinoa Brown Rice
Protein 3.51 grams 4.4 grams 2.32 grams
Calories 119 120 112
Dietary Fiber 1.3 grams 2.8 grams 1.8 grams
Potassium 62 mg 172 mg 79 mg
Phosphorus 100 mg 152 mg 77 mg
Calcium 3 mg 17 mg 10 mg
Magnesium 44 mg 64 mg 44 mg
Iron 0.63 mg 1.49 mg 0.53 mg
Sodium 2 mg 7 mg 1 mg
Manganese 0.272 mg 0.631 mg 1.097 mg
Zinc 0.91 mg 1.09 mg 0.62 mg
Copper 0.161 mg 0.192 mg 0.081 mg
Selenium 0.9 mcg 2.8 mcg N/A
Vitamin B1 (thiamine) 0.106 mg 0.107 mg 0.102 mg
Vitamin B2 (riboflavin) 0.082 mg 0.11 mg 0.012 mg
Niacin 1.33 mg 0.412 mg 1.33 mg
Pantothenic Acid 0.171 mg N/A 0.392 mg
Vitamin B6 0.108 mg 0.123 mg 0.149 mg
Folate 19 mcg 42 mcg 4 mcg
Vitamin A 3 IU 5 IU N/A
Vitamin E 0.02 mg 0.63 mg N/A
Vitamin K 0.3 mcg N/A N/A
Other Minerals contain trace amounts contain trace amounts contain trace amounts
Other Vitamin contain small amounts contain small amounts contain small amounts

This Post Has One Comment

  1. PM

    Quinoa has been a substitute for white rice for me. I was told Quinoa is much lower in carbs. Is this true? I do like it pretty well. I will try this recipe. It’s looks good.

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