Quinoa Vegetable Salad

This recipe surprised me! As many of us often do, I looked at what was in my refrigerator and cupboards and thought, What could I make? And so it began. I had some left over white rice, quinoa, and vegetables. With a little bit of attention and love, these simple ingredients made a grand appearance in this recipe I now call, Quinoa Vegetable Salad.

Servings: 8

Ingredients: 

1 1/2 cup cooked white rice

3 1/2 cup cooked quinoa

1 medium carrot diced

3 celery stalks diced

1/2 red beet diced

For the dressing:

1/2 white onion sautéed

2 garlic cloves sautéed

1 tablespoons fresh ginger minced

3/4 cup olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

Prepare

The night before, sauté on medium heat, the onion in 1 tablespoon of olive oil for 1-2 minutes, then add ginger and garlic. Continue to sauté for about 5 minutes. A little caramelization of the onion is delicious, but be sure not to burn. Pour olive oil into a container and add the sautéed mixture to it. Allow to sit over night.

Cook white rice and quinoa as directed on the packaging (usually a 1/2 ratio). In a large mixing bowl, combine rice, quinoa, carrot, celery, and red beet. When ingredients are well combined, fold in the olive oil and sautéed onion, garlic, and ginger mixture. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serve cold or hot.

Add hot sauce and/or coconut aminos (found at your local health food store) for a bolder taste.

Will keep in fridge for up to 5 days.