Quinoa Salad 
Quinoa Salad with Grilled Vegetables and Prawns
This beautiful, rich and robustly flavored Quinoa Salad will provoke your six senses into over-indulgence. Need I say; leftovers will drive your tastebuds to further overeating! When I first made this healthy and nutritious salad, my hubby turned up his nose and scuffed at the thought of having to eat Quinoa for dinner. He exclaimed, “Quinoa has no flavor, I never liked it.” The look I got when I dished him out the biggest serving possible was to die for. I held my breath while he rolled his eyes, peeking up at me with that – do I have to eat this – look and putting an overloaded fork full of the salad in his mouth at the same time. Oh wow. Oh wow. That was all he could say. And just like that, I had a Quinoa fan in the home. In the end the plate was empty with not even a slight evidence that those tiny Quinoa grains were there.
What made this salad so delicious was the brilliant marriage of grilled veggies, fresh veggies, beautifully seasoned grilled prawns (or jumbo or colossal shrimps) and the flavorful Lemony Prosecco wine dressing. The flavors worked so perfectly together and it can be eaten immediately or allow to sit for up to two hours for a richer taste; and leftovers are even more amazing. I hope you will make this version of Quinoa Salad and enjoy it as much as we do. Happy Cooking!
Note: Vegetarians can skip the shrimps and add grilled tofu or roasted nuts of choice.
You may also like these salad recipes:
Watermelon Arugula Mozzarella Wild Tomatoes Salad
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Quinoa Salad Grilled Veggies and Prawns with Lemon Prosecco Dressing
A healthy Quinoa Salad that's very richly flavored with lemony wine dressing, grilled vegetables and grilled prawns. Make this your new favorite healthy lunch or dinner meal
Ingredients
FOR THE SALAD DRESSING/VINAIGRETTE:
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice freshly squeezed
- 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar (I used Prosecco) https://amzn.to/3y2nusv
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard (I use Grey Poupon)
- 1 teaspoon honey (I use organic raw honey)
- 1 clove fresh garlic pressed or finely minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh oregano finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh dill finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons red onion finely diced
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt or kosher (adjust for your diet)
- 3/4 cups extra virgin olive oil
FOR THE QUINOA:
- 2 cups water
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt or kosher (adjust for your diet)
- 1 cup quinoa (I use organic quinoa) https://amzn.to/3xYJbcJ
FOR THE GRILLED VEGETABLES:
- 1 fresh corn (Husks removed) Wrap the corn in foil wrap.
- 1 medium Zucchini I use organic. (Washed thoroughly and cut into 2 lengthwise). Can remove some or all of the thin green skin.
- 2 medium carrots I use organic. Peeled and cut into 2 lengthwise.
- 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1/8 teaspoon sea salt or kosher (adjust for your diet)
- 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
FOR THE PRAWNS OR SHRIMPS:
- 2 pounds prawns or colossal or jumbo shrimps. Cleaned, deveined, rinsed and dried with paper towel).
- 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil (can use up to 3 teaspoons)
- 1 teaspoon sea salt or kosher (adjust for your diet)
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika or sweet paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon Turmeric
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
FOR THE FRESH VEGETABLES AND BEANS:
- 1 can garbanzo beans about 15 ounces, rinsed thoroughly. (You can sub your favorite beans)
- 1 medium red bell pepper seeds removed and dice the pepper.
- 1 small english cucumber diced. Can remove all the skin or just a little depending on your preference.
- 10 ounces grape tomatoes or cherry tomatoes. I used a wild grape and cherry multi colored tomatoes.
- 2 scallions chopped.
- 1/2 small red onion diced
- 2 tablespoons fresh dill chopped
- 2 ounces organic raisins (can sub dried cranberries.) https://amzn.to/2XKvEt7
Instructions
LET'S MAKE THE SALAD DRESSING/VINAIGRETTE:
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Add all the salad ingredients into a large enough measuring cup. Use a fork or whisk to mix until emulsified (creamy looking). Set aside.
Note 1: I usually add the oil last. Alternatively you can dump all ingredients into a salad dressing bottle, cover and shake vigorously until emulsified.
Note 2: This batch makes about 16 tablespoons. For the salad, I used half of the dressing. The leftover dressing can be used on any type of salad you make and it keeps up to a week.
LET'S COOK THE QUINOA:
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Add 2 cups water to a medium size pot. Add the salt. Bring to a boil over high heat.
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Add in the Quinoa. Stir. Reduce heat to medium low to low. Cover and cook according to package direction. The quinoa is cooked in generally 12 to 15 minutes. All the liquid should be fully absorbed.
Note: The organic quinoa I used took 12 minutes.
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Once the Quinoa is cooked and all water absorbed, give it a quick fluff with a spoon or fork. Cover the pot and allow to rest for 15 minutes.
WHILE THE QUINOA IS COOKING, PREPARE AND GRILL THE VEGETABLES:
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Preheat a gas grill 450F to 500F Degrees.
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Season the zucchini and carrots halves with the salt, pepper and olive oil. Mix thoroughly to coat.
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Add the foil wrapped corn, zucchini and carrots onto the grill. Keep the grill covered as much as possible.
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Rotate the corn 3 or 4 times during the grilling and grill it for a total of 10 to 12 or up to 15 minutes. Grill the zucchini halves and carrots halves for a total of 6 to 8 minutes. Flip once during the grilling.
Note: I like to cook the veggies so that they have an al dente texture.
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Remove the veggies and corn once grilled to desired texture.
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When the corn is cool enough to handle, remove it from the foil wrap. Use a sharp knife to remove the kernels. Use hands to break up any clumps of kernels.
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Cut the zucchini and carrots into bite size chunks.
LET'S PREPARE THE PRAWNS/SHRIMPS AND GRILL: This can be done simultaneously while the Quinoa and Veggies are cooking.
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Add the cleaned shrimps to a medium mixing bowl or foil pan.
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Season with olive oil, salt, black pepper, paprika, turmeric and cumin. Mix thoroughly to coat.
Note: The prawns/shrimps can be seasoned up to 30 minutes before grilling.
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Grill the prawns/shrimps on direct heat (450F to 500F Degrees). Grill for a total of 6 minutes flipping once. Remove the prawns from the grill. When cool enough to handle use half of the prawns to cut up into bite size chunks.
Note: I usually cut half of the prawns into halves and the remaing whole shrimps are used to top the salad.
LET'S ASSEMBLE THE SALAD:
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In a large salad or mixing bowl, add the grilled corn, zucchini and carrots. Add in the garbanzo beans, red pepper, cucumber, tomatoes and scallions. Add in 1 tablespoon of the dill and red onions. Drizzle with 4 tablespoons of the salad dressing. Mix to coat.
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Add in the cooked quinoa and the cut up prawns/shrimps. Pour in any of the juices that was released by the shrimps. Add in the raisins. Drizzle in another 4 tablespoons of the salad dressing. Mix thoroughly.
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Top the salad with the remaing dill and the whole prawns.
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Serve and enjoy!
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
Tutorial Video Available: Quinoa Salad Grilled Veggies and Prawns with Lemon Prosecco Dressing.
Nutritional Facts will vary depending on actual serving size.
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