Balsamic and Herb Quinoa Salad || Gracefult Kitchen

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Balsamic and Herb Quinoa Salad

Salad

Serve this cold quinoa salad with balsamic dressing as a delicious summer side to your favorite grilled meat, or try it alone as a great light lunch. I have been experimenting a lot with quinoa recently, and this is by far my favorite recipe. It's such a nice, healthy alternative to pasta and rice!

Ingredients

2 cups water
1 cup quinoa
1 teaspoon chicken bouillon granules
½ cup frozen baby lima beans
water to cover
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
⅓ cup slivered almonds
3 Campari tomatoes, diced
2 tablespoons thinly sliced scallions
2 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, cut into small chunks
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
3 tablespoons almond oil
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
2 teaspoons dried basil
1 teaspoon minced garlic
¼ teaspoon salt

Description

Bring 2 cups water, quinoa, and bouillon granules to a boil in a saucepan. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until quinoa is tender and water has been absorbed, 15 to 20 minutes. Spread quinoa onto a baking sheet and refrigerate until cooled, about 30 minutes. Rinse the saucepan.
Place lima beans into the saucepan and add water to cover beans by 1 inch; season with salt and pepper. Cover the saucepan with a lid and bring water to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until beans are cooked through but still tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Drain water and rinse beans under cold water to stop the cooking process; refrigerate until cool, about 10 minutes.
Cook and stir almonds in a skillet over medium heat until toasted, about 5 minutes. Remove the skillet from heat and cool almonds to room temperature, about 5 minutes.
Mix quinoa, lima beans, almonds, tomatoes, scallions, and mozzarella cheese together in a large bowl.
Whisk vinegar, almond oil, olive oil, Italian seasoning, basil, garlic, and salt together in a small bowl until smooth; pour over quinoa mixture and stir to coat.