Guest Post: Katrina's Quinoa Salad Recipe!



Hi everyone! I'm Katrina from The Demure Muse! Thanks so much for having me over here at Little Chief Honeybee.



I can usually be found blogging about my daily outfits or jewelry making but today I'm here to share with you one of my most recent kitchen experiments. I hope you try it out this holiday season because I think the colors are perfect for the winter festivities!

Quick disclaimer: This whole recipe was an experiment between myself, a meatetarian, and my friend who has newly converted to being a vegetarian. If you’re like me and have never heard of quinoa prior to this, it’s a pseudo-cereal that is extremely nutritious and is often considered a vegetable substitute due to its nutritional value instead of a grain.

Vegetarian Quinoa Salad - serves 4

What you’ll need:
1. 2 cups of quinoa
2. 4 cups of vegetable broth (or a mix of vegetable broth and water)
3. 1 ½ cups of cherry tomatoes
4. carton of fresh basil (add as desired)
5. small block of feta cheese (or as much/little as you’d like!)


First, we need to wash the quinoa. You may notice that the water that the quinoa is being washed in will have a bit of a “soapy” feel. I did two rinses before cooking the quinoa.


Much like preparing rice, place a pot on the stove at medium to high heat with the vegetable broth in it. Once the broth comes to a boil, add the quinoa and put a lid on it. Remember to stir the quinoa every few minutes so that it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot. You’ll know when the quiona is ready because all of the broth gets boiled into the grains.

While the quinoa cooks, you can prep the rest of the ingredients for the salad. The great thing about making this salad is the fact that there is relatively little “‘cooking” involved! From here, halve the cherry tomatoes and chop the fresh basil. We want the basil to be in relatively big pieces.


Cut the feta cheese into about ½ inch cubes and then mix all of the fresh ingredients together in a separate bowl.


By this time, your quinoa should be well on its way to being fully cooked. We were a little impatient when we made this first batch of salad and we mixed all the ingredients in with the quinoa while it was still extremely hot, which melted the feta cheese. Depending on how you like your salad, it might be better to let to let the quinoa cool down a bit before mixing everything together.

Due to my meatetarian needs, I added a side of chicken. (I know, I know. I’m not the most supportive friend in terms of helping a newly converted vegetarian. I have a habit of forcing myself to have a balanced meal in terms of carbohydrates, vegetables, and proteins) I couldn't bring myself to have only a salad for dinner which is why I added the meat. I also added a small bed of spinach to my quinoa salad.



I hope you enjoyed the recipe! :)

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Big thanks to Katrina for her awesome recipe! I can't wait to try it! You can stop by Katrina's blog or shop if you'd like to learn more about her!

20 comments:

  1. Ooh, I love Quinoa! I will definitely try this.

    It's also delicious if you cook it in Earl Grey tea.

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  2. Thats looks really yummy!

    Also im having a Christmas swap on my blog and was hoping you would join in!!!


    Marja <3

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  3. Looks yummy! I love quinoa, and from what I've heard it is a protein in and of itself!

    <3,Lindsay

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  4. I just found you via the freckled nest, and I'm already inspired!

    looks yummy!

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  5. I am OBSESSED with Quinoa. Such a good protein source for vegetarians! I usually make sweet dishes with it, using dried cranberries and cinnamon and such - excited to try this one!

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  6. oh my! I need to try this recipe!!! thanks so much!

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  7. Totally having this for supper tonight :D

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  8. Looks like a must try! I have so many new blogs luvs today!

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  9. @venerated I completely love the idea of cooking the quinoa in tea. I have a few herbal mixes I can't wait to try now. What a concept!

    @Katrina I too tend to add meat or eggs to at least one meal a day. It's very hard to get all the protein and B vitamins you need from just vegetable sources. Fortunately, you don't need to be a vegan to enjoy quinoa.

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  10. Yum yum yummm. I love quinoa and especially love eating vegetarian! Thanks for sharing, I will be sure to try this out!

    XOXO,
    style activist

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  11. Quinoa is a great food, with or without meat. I like the meat version better:)

    Thanks for sharing it!

    Naomi

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  12. Yummy! Quinoa has a unique texture and I never would have thought of using it as a base for a salad!

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  13. yum! that salad looks great!

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  14. Just found your blog and I LOVE IT! I've always secretly wanted to dye my hair fire engine red. :)

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  15. Just came across your blog...:)

    I've always wanted to dye my hair fire engine red :) You rock it, girl!

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  16. All of these beautiful homes are making me yearn for my own place even more!

    One day, one day!

    Great finds!

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  17. this looks delicious.
    but its also kind of annoying when people say vegetarians dont get enough nutrients. i'm healthy as can be and haven't touched meat in 10+ years. you just need to balance it out without a baby animal. totally possible.

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  18. This looks great, excited to try it!!

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  19. Thanks so much for having me as a guest blogger, Kaelah!!

    I'm so glad you guys enjoyed the recipe! xo

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HEY! Thanks for dropping by. xo KB