Recipe Alert: Quinoa Salad!

Hello and welcome everyone! Loma Linda University is honored to be the host for the Women's Ministry Food Demo on February 5th, 2023.

The star of today's event is none other than a classic quinoa salad recipe. It's quick, fresh, and nourishing for the body. Plus, it's packed with vegetables, whole grains, protein, and fiber to keep you happy, healthy and satiated.

This salad recipe is a fantastic option for those who consume plant-based foods. Plant-based diets yield a plethora of health benefits such as lowering BMI, blood pressure, and undesired cholesterol levels. This is made possible by the unique nutrients found in plants that you cannot get from other sources. Because they contain vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals, and antioxidants, its consumption is associated with improved organ function, digestion, and reduced risk of chronic diseases among many other health concerns.

So in what ways can this salad benefit your health? Below is a chart that summarizes the benefits of its ingredients:

Ingredient	Benefits
Olive oil	Anti-inflammatory, encourages healthy cholesterol
Garlic	Boosts immunity, anti-inflammatory
Lemon juice	​Contains antioxidants, improves digestion
Quinoa	Good source of protein and fiber, improves gut health
Spinach	Reduces blood sugar, hypertension, aids in digestion
Garbanzo beans	Lowers cholesterol, high in fiber and protein

There's more! But we hope this list is enough to encourage you to try out this recipe. This salad packs great for lunches, picnics, and road trips. You can even bring this allergen-free salad to your next potluck! Without further ado, let's get into it!

Quinoa Salad

PREP TIME: 10 mins

TOTAL TIME: 10 mins

YIELD: 5-6 servings

Here's what you will need:

For the dressing:

• 1/4 cup olive oil

• 1 clove minced garlic

• 2 tablespoons lemon juice

• 1 large lemon

• Kosher salt and to taste

For the salad:

• 2 cups cold cooked quinoa

• 2 cups fresh spinach leaves chopped

• 1 cup of low sodium canned garbanzo beans

• 1 cup chopped cucumber

• 1 cup halved grape or cherry tomatoes

• 2 green onions sliced

Optional:

• 1/2 cup walnuts (chopped)

• Dried fruit

• Avocado

• Feta cheese

Preparation

1. First, cook the quinoa, let it cool, then rinse the garbanzo beans.

2. To make the dressing, whisk together the olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, vinegar, maple syrup/honey, salt and pepper. Set aside.

3. In a large bowl, combine the cooled quinoa, spinach, cucumber, tomatoes, rinsed garbanzo beans, and green onions. Add optional ingredients.

4. Drizzle salad with dressing and gently stir until salad is evenly coated. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve!

Thank you for reading. Enjoy your meal. ( ᵔ‿ᵔ )っ🥗