COOK: Chilean Quinoa Salad (Ensalada de Quinoa)
- Chilean Quinoa Salad Ingredients
- Kitchen Equipment Needed
- How to Make Chilean Quinoa Salad
- Storage & Make-Ahead Tips
- Backpacker-Friendly Dried Quinoa Salad
- Chilean Quinoa Salad (Ensalada de Quinoa)
This Chilean quinoa salad recipe is so easy, and packed with bright, fresh flavors! The quinoa is tossed with a lemon vinaigrette, and red-ripe tomatoes, crunchy peppers, sweet onion, and fresh herbs.
This recipe is a vegan source of complete protein that you can serve as an entree salad, or as a light but hearty side dish at your next BBQ or gathering. It’s also a great recipe for quick and easy lunches and meal-prep. Make a big batch on Sunday and portion it out for lunches for the week!
If you leave out the olive oil, you can even dehydrate this recipe for a backpacker-friendly nutrient-dense meal on the go… I’ve included tips for this at the end of the post!
Chilean Quinoa Salad Ingredients
Quinoa:
Often touted as a “superfood”, this South American seed is in the same family as beets, chard, spinach, amaranth, and wild greens like lambsquarters, and is a good source of vegan protein, fiber, and micronutrients.
Unlike many plant sources of protein, quinoa is a complete protein, meaning it has all 9 essential amino acids. It also tastes great, with a texture a bit like short grain rice crossed with couscous, and a mild, nutty flavor.
Different varieties of quinoa are available. You can use white or red quinoa here, or a blend. Whichever you choose, make sure you rinse the dry quinoa well before cooking.
You can cook the quinoa in plain water, but the salad will be a lot more flavorful if you use vegetable or chicken stock, or add a teaspoon or two of bouillon powder or paste to the water when you cook the grain.
Make sure if you are cooking for people with dietary restrictions that you check the ingredients of the base or bouillon if you are using it, and obviously don’t use chicken stock if you are cooking for vegans or vegetarians!
Peppers:
We’re using red bell peppers, but you can substitute other sweet peppers if you like. Wash them well, and then slice. Remove the stem, seeds, and bitter membrane from your peppers, slice into strips, and then dice.
For the hot peppers, use jalapeno or serrano peppers. Wash and remove the stems, and thinly slice or mince them. You can first remove the seeds and white membrane from your hot peppers for a milder salad, or leave them in for a spicier dish!
Onion:
Use sweet onions for the mildest salad, or white onion if you don’t have sweet or want a bit more kick in your salad. Either way, we’re going to peel, mince, and then rinse the onion before adding it to the salad to reduce the pungency.
Tomato:
Use a firm, ripe paste-type or slicing tomato here if you can so that your salad isn’t soggy. The better the quality of the tomato, the better your salad will be!
Herbs:
You can use fresh cilantro, flat-leaf parsley, or a combination of both in your salad. I like this best made with lots of cilantro, but if you’re one of those folks with the genetic profile that makes cilantro taste extremely soapy, feel free to substitute flat leaf parsley, and perhaps some Mexican oregano (a little goes a long way if you can get fresh) for the cilantro.
Dressing:
We’re making a quick vinaigrette to dress this Chilean quinoa salad. You’ll need olive oil, lemon juice (fresh squeezed or bottled), and salt and freshly ground black pepper for your vinaigrette.
I add a bit of of ground cumin to add an earthy depth, or ground coriander. I like to add both! You can use more to taste if you like, or substitute lime juice for the lemon if you prefer.
Kitchen Equipment Needed
sauce pan or small dutch oven:
You’ll need a medium pot (at least 1.5-2 qt) to cook the quinoa.
cutting board and chef’s knife:
Prepping the vegetables is easiest on a large sturdy cutting board (I prefer bamboo or butcher block boards). Use any sharp knife that you prefer.
mixing or serving bowl:
You’ll need a large mixing bowl to make the vinaigrette and to combine and toss the salad ingredients. You may also want a decorative bowl for serving, or smaller containers to portion the salad if you are meal prepping.
How to Make Chilean Quinoa Salad
cook the quinoa:
- Rinse the quinoa in a wire strainer until the water runs clear, and drain well. This removes bitter saponins that have an unpleasant taste, so don’t skip this step! Most commercial quinoa has been pre-rinsed, but it can’t hurt to give it another rinse just to be sure.
- Place the quinoa in a saucepan, cover with 3 cups of water (or stock).
- Add the dry spices, salt, and bouillon powder or paste (if you are using any).
- Stir, and bring to a boil over medium heat.
- Cover, reduce heat, and simmer until the quinoa is translucent, then remove from heat.
fluff and chill quinoa:
- Let cool for a few minutes, then uncover and fluff the quinoa with a fork.
- Completely chill the cooked grains while you prepare the other ingredients for the quinoa salad.
prep vegetables:
- While the quinoa is cooking & chilling, wash and chop all of the vegetables & herbs.
- Cut the bell peppers into strips, removing and discarding the seeds, stem, and white membranes. Cut the strips into small diced or diamond shapes.
- You can leave the seeds in the hot peppers for a spicier salad, or remove them to make it more mild. You can slice them in half or quarters and then into thin half-moons or pieces, or cut into 1/8″ strips and then mince.
- Core the tomatoes and cut into thick slices and then dice.
- Trim the root and stem end from the onion. Peel it, and cut in half through the root end. Cut perpendicular to the root in thin slices (but do not cut all the way to the root end), then across the onion to mince finely.
- Rinse the minced onion with cold water in a wire sieve or colander. Drain and press out any excess water.
- Rinse the cilantro or parsley, shake or spin to dry well, or pat dry with a clean towel. Trim off the tough stems (save parsley stems for homemade stock) and mince the leaves and smaller tender stems.
assemble & chill salad:
- In a large mixing or serving bowl, combine the lemon juice, olive oil, and seasonings.
- Add the chopped vegetables, herbs, and quinoa to the bowl and fold together until well mixed.
- Adjust seasonings to taste and chill the salad for at least 30 minutes before serving.
Storage & Make-Ahead Tips
You can serve this salad immediately after chilling, or make it up to a few days ahead. The color of the herbs will be brightest on the first day, but the salad will hold for 3-4 days if you want to prep it in advance for easy lunches!
I do not recommend freezing this dish, as the peppers will lose their crunch and the rest of the ingredients will be watery.
Backpacker-Friendly Dried Quinoa Salad
You can make a dehydrator-friendly version of this dish for backpacking if you omit the olive oil. Spread the finished salad out on dehydrator trays lined with silicone sheets or parchment paper.
Dry until the vegetables are crisp and no traces of moisture remain (time needed will vary with dehydrator power and relative humidity, but at least 8 hours). Stir the mixture on the trays periodically, breaking up any large clumps so that they dry evenly. The vegetables will be completely shriveled and leathery to crisp.
Place the dried quinoa salad mixture into a large glass jar to condition. Check the jar every day for a week, shaking and looking for clumping or condensation. If any are present, immediately return to the dehydrator and dry longer. If you see any mold, you need to discard the batch, so make sure it’s really dry before jar conditioning!
After conditioning, you can transfer the dried quinoa mixture to zip-seal freezer or mylar bags with oxygen absorbers, or vacuum seal in glass jars. For longer storage, keep the bags in the freezer until needed.
Rehydrate with approximately equal parts boiling water on the trail or cold-soak overnight. Add olive oil or your choice of healthy fat when you serve the salad. You can carry a small leak-proof Nalgene bottle or portioned commercial packets of olive oil with you to add calories and flavor.
Chilean Quinoa Salad (Ensalada de Quinoa)
Equipment
- 1 medium saucepan (2 quart volume)
- mixing or serving bowl
Ingredients
- 1½ cups quinoa uncooked volume
- 3 cups water or broth
- 1 ½ tsp vegetable or chicken bouillon base or powder (optional)
- 2 medium tomatoes cored & diced
- 1 large red bell pepper seeded & diced
- 1 cup sweet onion finely chopped, rinsed, and drained (about 1 small or ½ jumbo onion)
- 2 medium jalapeno or Serrano chiles seeded & finely minced
- ½ cup fresh cilantro or parsley minced
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup lemon juice freshly squeezed or good quality bottled juice (substitute lime juice if you prefer)
- 1 ½ tsp kosher salt or to taste
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp ground cumin (opt, or to taste)
- ¾ tsp ground coriander (opt, or to taste)
Instructions
cook the quinoa:
- Rinse the quinoa in a wire strainer until the water runs clear, and drain well.
- Place the quinoa in a saucepan, cover with 3 cups of water (or stock). Add the dry spices, salt, and bouillon powder or paste (if you are using any).
- Mix gently to combine, and bring the pot to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
- Cover the pot, reduce heat to low, and simmer about 20 minutes, until the quinoa is translucent and has absorbed the liquid, then remove from heat.
cook, fluff and chill:
- Let cool a bit, then fluff the quinoa with a fork.
- Completely chill the cooked grains while you prepare the other ingredients for the quinoa salad.
prep vegetables:
- While the quinoa is cooking & chilling, wash and chop all of the vegetables & herbs.
- Cut the bell peppers into strips, removing and discarding the seeds, stem, and white membranes. Cut the strips into small diced or diamond shapes.
- You can leave the seeds in the hot peppers for a spicier salad, or remove them to make it more mild. You can slice them in half or quarters and then into thin half-moons or pieces, or cut into 1/8″ strips and then mince.
- Core the tomatoes and cut into thick slices and then dice.
- Trim the root and stem end from the onion. Peel it, and cut in half through the root end. Cut perpendicular to the root in thin slices (but do not cut all the way to the root end), then across the onion to mince finely.
- Rinse the minced onion with cold water in a wire sieve or colander. Drain and press out any excess water.
assemble salad:
- In a large mixing or serving bowl, combine the lemon juice & olive oil.
- Add the chopped vegetables, herbs, and cooked quinoa and fold together until well mixed.
- Adjust seasonings to taste and chill the salad for 30 minutes before serving.
Nutrition
Grain, Pasta, and Potato Side Salad Recipes:
- Winter Tabbouleh Salad with Moroccan Lemon Vinaigrette
- Roasted Chickpea & Broccoli Pasta Salad
- Triple Pickled Pepper Pasta Salad with Pepperoni & Chicken (or Chickpeas)
- Arugula & Olive Creamy Pasta Salad
- Classic Southern Potato Salad Recipe
- Dill-Yogurt Nordic Potato Salad