Quinoa is gaining popularity and for good reason. It’s a whole grain, and a great alternative to rice or pasta for a healthy lunchtime or dinnertime salad. Because it’s a grain, it’s also filling. You can combine it with any number of ingredients — tomatoes, feta cheese, cucumber, olives, etc — and make a tasty dish from it. Here’s a tried and true recipe, but feel free to play around with your own combinations based on what you have in your pantry!

Quinoa Salad

Serves plenty of people

2 cups quinoa precooked
1 cup carrots diced small
1 cup corn
1 cup squash diced small
1 bunch green onions
1 cup chickpeas
½  cup red onions diced small
2 apples diced small
Cilantro leaves to decorate
1 lime
1 Red chili pepper diced small
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp honey
4 tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Place the diced carrots, corn, squash, chickpeas and red onions in a bowl, season with salt and pepper, drizzle some olive oil on them (do not soak them!)and toss well.

Roast the vegetables in a preheated skillet at high heat for about 5 minutes, set aside on a cookie sheet until needed.

Prepare the vinaigrette by mixing the juice of the lime with the vinegar and the honey; add enough salt and pepper to taste and add the chili, mix well and stir in the olive oil and taste for correct seasoning.

Place the quinoa in a large bowl and to it add the vegetables, the apples, and the green onions, mix well to evenly distribute the ingredients and then add the vinaigrette in the desired amount.

Serve with a generous topping of cilantro leaves and a slice of lime beside it.