Quinoa has become the Beyonce of grains/seeds/things to put in bowls. What do you think? [YES/NO/MAYBE]. Even if you started out a divergent, by now, you’ve probably tried at least one recipe that you’ve liked. I’m guessing it was a really good quinoa salad that hooked you, because that’s what happened to me.
I’ll say outright that I do love quinoa, and mostly because it’s so nutritious. Taste-wise, though, it has that blank earthiness that most grains have, which makes it boring on its own, but useful and versatile when it comes to picking up other flavors. All this to say, quinoa needs a lot of help.
Cooking quinoa in broth instead of water is just one simple way to boost flavor. Here, chicken broth or even seafood broth would be perfect. For this recipe, I used raw cucumber, scallions, and tomatoes, for added crisp texture, kalamata olives and goat cheese for tangy, salty flavor, and dressed it all in a lemon Dijon vinaigrette. The shrimp take only a few minutes (just blanch them in the broth!) and make this whole salad feel hearty and satisfying.
If you’re looking for a filling, healthy alternative to traditional potato or pasta salad, or just a make-ahead quinoa salad you can bring to lunch, this is it!
Quinoa Salad with Shrimp, Goat Cheese and Olives
Ingredients
Dressing:
- ⅓ cup fresh lemon juice juice of about 2 lemons
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Salad:
- 2 ¼ cups chicken broth seafood broth, or water
- 1 ½ pounds large raw shrimp peeled and deveined
- 1 cup uncooked quinoa rinsed and drained
- 1 cup grape tomatoes halved
- 1 cup chopped cucumber peeled
- ¼ cup chopped scallions
- ⅓ cup kalamata olives pitted and chopped
- ¼ cup finely chopped fresh basil
- ½ cup crumbled goat cheese
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk the lemon juice, lemon zest, honey, mustard, garlic, oil, salt, and pepper.
- Bring the broth to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp and cook until pink and opaque throughout, 2 to 3 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to remove the shrimp to a plate, leaving the broth in the saucepan over medium-high heat. If the broth isn’t boiling, return it to a boil.
- Add the quinoa, cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer until the quinoa has absorbed all of the liquid, about 15 minutes. Fluff the quinoa with a fork. Return the shrimp to the saucepan and pour the dressing over the top, tossing to coat.
- Add the tomatoes, cucumber, scallions, olives, basil, and goat cheese, and mix well.
Nutrition
photography by Ashley McLaughlin Photography
Fresh raw shrimp is so hard to find where I am — It’s way easier to find frozen cocktail shrimp or frozen raw shrimp — can they be used in this recipe?
Hi Andie:) I am a 40 year old mother of 4, married for 13 years to a former Olympic swimmer . I am a stay a home mom and homeschool my four kids. My husband is a financial advisor and we also own our own business (a swim school :) anyway life is busy and I am 50 pounds overweight..heavier than I have ever been without being pregnant!
I recently listened to your book while we were on vacation and I loved it!! You put into words so many things I have struggled with. Even though my story is different I realized I have used food in a very unhealthy way!
Thank you for sharing your story and yourself with us through your blog, book and cookbook! I just got your cookbook yesterday’ and have already enjoyed 2 of your recipes!!!!
I am starting my journey to weight loss and balance..I will let you know how it goes!!
I’m loving the looks of this salad! I started to like quinoa in stir fry and I’m intrigued to try it in a sweet form, like for breakfast. Quinoa is 100% the Beyonce of grains.
Looks so good Andie! Do you have nutritional information for it? Thanks.
Pingback: Good (Food) Reads - With Two Spoons
LOVE that you threw some goat cheese into this, it easily my favorite cheese and I know firsthand how well it pairs with shrimp – Delicious Andie! xo
I made this for lunch to eat at work this week! My one tip for anyone trying this would be to wait to add the goat cheese until after the Quinoa/shrimp mixture is cooled. I added it too soon and the goat cheese melted when mixing it all together. It made it creamy which is fine, but if you want goat cheese chunks, wait until everything is cool and then it will mix better :)
Pingback: Cooking with Pantry Staples (Plus 15 Recipes!) - Andie Mitchell
Pingback: Healthy Breakfast Quinoa with Coconut Milk and Apples