Strawberry & Quinoa Salad with Toasted Almonds

One can never have too many summer potluck side dishes in their recipe lineup. This fresh Strawberry & Quinoa Salad with Toasted Almonds is a surefire crowd pleaser.

As much as I enjoy a good side dish, there are times (okay, MANY times) that all I can muster is a bowl of brown rice, with a side of soy sauce. This quinoa almost fell into that pit of side dish despair where lazy meets boring, and your kids start complaining, “Quinoa again?”

In the spirit of not lulling my family into a side dish stupor, I pulled myself together and rustled around in the fridge for ingredients other than soy sauce.

Out came the strawberries, lemon juice, olive oil and green onions, and into a bowl they went with the quinoa, along with a palmful of toasted almonds. Nutty, sweet, savory and bright. As soon as I took a bite of the salad, I scrabbled around for a piece of paper and jotted down the ingredients, knowing I’d want to re-create the recipe the next day for the blog (and for every summertime barbecue this season).

So, how else can you spice up that bowl of quinoa to make it the most enticing thing on the potluck table?

Some of my favorite ways to use quinoa:

For a potluck salad that’s great at room temperature, a simple vinaigrette, with some vegetable, fruit and/or nut mix-ins are all you need to make a great whole grain salad.

• Other healthy recipes with strawberries:
• Cookin’ Canuck’s Seared Shrimp with Jicama, Strawberries & Avocado
• Cookin’ Canuck’s Whole Wheat Strawberry Oat Bars
• Very Culinary’s Strawberry Jam Yogurt Pops
• Cooking on the Weekends’ Lemon-Basil Strawberry Caprese Recipe
• Know Your Produce’s Strawberry Banana Oatmeal Breakfast Smoothie
• Strawberry & Quinoa Salad with Toasted Almonds Author: Dara Michalski | Cookin' Canuck

⅔ cups tricolor quinoa, rinsed & drained 1⅓ cups water 1 cup sliced strawberries 3 tbsp toasted slivered almonds 2 green onions, thinly sliced 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil 2 tsp agave nectar (or honey) ¼ tsp salt

Combine the quinoa and water in a medium saucepan set over high heat. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce the heat to low. Cook until all of the water is absorbed, 18 to 20 minutes. Spread the quinoa on a baking sheet and let cool. In a serving bowl, combine the cooled quinoa, strawberries, almonds and green onions. Toss with the dressing. Serve. In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, agave nectar and salt. Weight Watchers Points: 4 (Points+), 3 (Old Points) Serving size: ½ cup | Calories: 149.2 cal | Fat: 7.6g | Saturated fat: 0.7g | Carbohydrates: 17.9g | Sugar: 3.4g | Sodium: 105.3mg | Fiber: 2.4g | Protein: 4.1g | Cholesterol: 0mg 3.3.3077

If you make this recipe, I’d love to see it on Instagram! Just use the hashtag #COOKINCANUCK and I’ll be sure to find it.

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