Quinoa Vegetable Salad: GF version Couscous Salad #French Fridays with Dorie

I never wanted to be trendy, but thanks to a wheat allergy, I was forced to make a gluten-free version of this couscous salad from French Fridays with Dorie.


Just to set the record straight, I am wheat-free not gluten-free... (no offense to people who genuinely suffer from gluten intolerance and Celiac disease) but that doesn't seem to matter, I've gotten lumped together with the chia seed, kale eating... coconut water sipping crowd.

"But, I've had food allergies all of my life." No one wants to hear it. Not eating wheat is IN, therefore I am trendy... I guess there are worse things to be.

I could be this salad in it's original form... which I really did not like. It was too lemony, too gingery, with too many chickpeas and peppers... I don't like how cucumbers get when they are refrigerated, so I used zucchini instead, and sugar snaps just didn't seem to be needed or work with the other vegetables... uh oh, it's another lead in to an adaption.

Yes, I changed this recipe also, I'm on a roll. I really did like the the seasoning in this salad, I just didn't like the proportions. The re-make suits my trendy self much better... and I even held off throwing some chai seeds and kale into it!

Quinoa Vegetable Salad
by Diane Balch
simplelivingeating.com

from Dorie Greenspan's Couscous Salad from, Around my French Table.

preparation 20 minutes                                    serves: 4 - 6


Ingredients:

3 cups of chicken or vegetable broth
1 cup of quinoa
2 tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves minced
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 teaspoon of cumin
1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon
1/2 cup go golden raisins plumbed in hot water
1 small zucchini diced
1/2 red pepper diced
1 small carrot diced
1/2 a can or 8 ounces of chickpeas
Zest of 1 lemon
1/4 cup minced of fresh cilantro
1/4 cup of toasted chopped almonds (optional)
salt and pepper to taste


Directions:

1) Bring the broth along with the olive oil, garlic, ginger, turmeric, cumin, cinnamon, salt and pepper to a boil in a medium sauce pan.

2) Add the quinoa along with the raisins to the broth and let simmer until cooked about 20 minutes. The water should be absorbed and the quinoa should not be chewy to the taste. 

3) Stir in vegetables, chickpeas and lemon zest. Refrigerate or serve at room temperature. 

Note: As a member of French Friday's with Dorie I am not allowed to print the recipe. I invite you to take a look at this wonderful cookbook "Around My French Table" if you are interested in this or any other recipe I review. 

Click here to see how the other Dorista's did.