Quinoa Salad - Italian Style with Pepperoni, Salami, and Mozzarella
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Yield: 8
This tender, fluffy quinoa salad is made with chopped vegetables, fresh or dried basil, olives, chickpeas, cured meats, and cheeses. Lightly tossed together in Homemade Italian Vinaigrette.
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Ingredients
For the Homemade Italian Vinaigrette:
- 1 ½ cups mild olive oil
- ½ cup red wine vinegar
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 teaspoon freshly-squeezed lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 2 tbsp. Italian seasoning
- 2 tbsp. honey
- salt and pepper to taste
For the Quinoa Salad:
- 2 cups dry quinoa cooked according to package instructions, I used organic tri-color
- 1 cucumber chopped into bite-sized pieces
- 1 green bell pepper chopped into bite-sized pieces
- pint cherry tomatoes whole
- 4-5 oz. can sliced black olives drained
- 16 oz. can chickpeas rinsed and drained
- 16 oz. mini mozzarella balls or mozzarella log chopped into bite-sized pieces
- 6 oz. pepperoni
- ½ lb. salami chopped into bite-sized pieces
- handful of fresh chopped basil or 1 teaspoon dried chopped basil
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cook quinoa according to the package directions. Once cooked and fluffed with a fork, set aside. Allow to cool completely.
For the Homemade Italian Vinaigrette:
- While waiting for the quinoa to cool, make the dressing. Add all ingredients to a large glass bowl or mason jar. Whisk or shake to combine. Refrigerate until ready to use.1 ½ cups mild olive oil, ½ cup red wine vinegar, ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese, 2 teaspoon freshly-squeezed lemon juice, 1 teaspoon minced garlic, 2 tbsp. Italian seasoning, 2 tbsp. honey, salt and pepper to taste
For the Quinoa Salad:
- Wash and chop bell peppers and cucumber into bite-sized pieces. Add to a large bowl along with the whole cherry tomatoes.
- Add in the olives and chickpeas.
- Add the chopped meats and cheeses.
- Add in cooled quinoa and the chopped fresh or dried basil.
- Stir or fold the mixture gently until all ingredients are evenly distributed.
- If serving right away, add the dressing to the quinoa salad and gently stir. Otherwise, store dressing separately and add as needed. This helps prevent the vegetables from getting soggy.
Notes
- Start adding about ¼ - ½ cup of the dressing at a time, being careful to not oversaturate the quinoa salad. Refrigerate any leftover dressing in a glass or mason jar. If you dressed the entire bowl of quinoa salad; after the first day, you may need to add a little more dressing and stir.
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