Quinoa Salad

(click to enlarge)	Quinoa Salad Peru - Ensalada Quinoa
(click to enlarge)	Makes: Effort: Sched: DoAhead:	3-1/4 # ** 55 min Yes		An attractive and delicious Tabouleh-like salad using a "grain" originating in the Andean Altiplano of Peru and Bolivia. See also Comments.

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Quinoa (1)
Water
Tomatoes, Plum
Cucumbers (2)
Scallions
Parsley
Mint
-- Dressing
Garlic
Lemon Juice
Olive Oil, ExtV
Salt
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Make - (55 min + cool and chill)

Place QUINOA in a sauce pan with 2 cups Water. Bring to a boil and simmer for 30 minutes. The grains should be softened and burst. If needed, add a little boiling water. Take off the heat and let cool. If any residual water remains, strain it out.
Meanwhile: Cut TOMATOES into dice up to 1/2 inch in size. Place in a bowl to drain. Plum Tomatoes won't drain much but others will.
Cut CUCUMBERS into pieces up to 1/2 inch in size. For Persians, I cut lengthwise into 3 slices, then cut each slice in half lengthwise and slice them into pieces crosswise. Tumble Cucumber pieces with 1/2 t Salt and let sit for 20 minutes or more.
Slice SCALLIONS crosswise about 1/8 inch at the white end, increasing to 1/4 inch at the green end. Place in a large mixing bowl.
Pull PARSLEY and MINT leaves from stems. Chop fairly small - measure is after chopping. Add both to the Scallions.
Drain Tomatoes. Drain and rinse the Cucumbers and drain well. Add both to the Scallions.
Add Quinoa to the Scallions and tumble to mix evenly.
In a jar, mix all Dressing items. Shake well and pour over Salad. Toss it all gently to coat.
Chill the Salad and serve garnished as you prefer.

NOTES:

Quinoa:
This "pseudo grain" has made a strong comeback after being banned by the Spanish for religious reasons. It is now easily available in North America in white and tricolor versions. Commercially packed Quinoa in North America has had the bitter saponins cleaned off. For details see our Quinoa Seeds page.
Cucumbers:
If possible, use small cucumbers that don't need to be skinned or seeded, such as Persian, Japanese or European. If you have only the standard waxed green blimps, peel them and seed them, then measure out the given weight.
Comments:
This is a modern dish from Peru, clearly related to the Levantine Tabouleh. The ingredients are all the same, except Bulgur Wheat is replaced by Quinoa. The recipe is from real Peruvians, so "authentic". Yes, that's a big pile of Parsley and Mint, but that's the way a real Tabouleh is made. It's not a Bulgur Salad with Herbs, it's an Herb Salad with Bulgur.
U.S. measure: t=teaspoon, T=Tablespoon, c=cup, qt=quart, oz=ounce, #=pound, cl=clove in=inch, ar=as required tt=to taste

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