Tangy Quinoa Salad

Quinoa is a high protein grain that originated in the Peruvian Andes. I love quinoa but most of the quinoa salads I have had were somewhat boring taste-wise. I wondered if a modified Lebansese tabbouleh recipe could be made with quinoa by substituting the bulgur wheat with quinoa. It worked and I like it much better than the traditional tabbouleh. I also modified the recipe by eliminating the chopped mint. You can certainly add it if you are a tabbouleh purist!

Tangy Quinoa Salad

1 cup dry quinoa (any kind- I like the mixed colors)
1 cup finely chopped red onion
1 cup finely diced tomatoes (about 3 med or 2 large tomatoes)
1 cup finely chopped flat leaf parsley
1 lemon
1 T olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

1. Cook the quinoa according to package directions (I add 1.5 cups of water, bring to a boil, then simmer with the top on for 10 minutes. I let it set of 30 min. covered, then fluff it with a fork.)

2. Mix together the first 4 ingredients.

3. Squeeze 3-4 T of lemon juice from the fresh lemon. Add to the mixture along with olive oil and S&P.  Mix thoroughly and serve as a salad or side dish.

Makes about 4-5 servings.