Simple Greek Avocado Quinoa Salad

A salad made for simpletons.  Okay, so maybe the term is a bit pejorative, but you get the idea.  This recipe is as easy as chopping vegetables and following package instructions.  Yet, the final product is vibrant and delectably gourmet.  Plus, quinoa is that magically filling grain that is guilt and gluten free, so it won’t weigh you down or leave you hankering for more.

Tonight’s dinner was one of those “throw-this-together- after-work-because-I’m-starving” deals.  When I’m hungry there isn’t time to spare on being hung up on some missing ingredient from an over-the-top recipe.  So, while it is no great date meal or anything fancy to impress the folks with, it was just what I needed for dinner tonight.  

 The texture was a perfect yin yang – the crunchy quinoa contrasted with the velvetiness of the avocado made for textural bliss.  The taste was fresh and perky – tomatoes, parsley, and feta are naturally bright and lively flavors that made the salad taste light and refreshing.   I’m not a huge fan of salads when they are made up of “rabbit food”, i.e. bags of pre-chopped iceburg lettuce.  But this is the kind of salad I’ll have seconds of. 

For those days when you are on the go, this is a healthful, tasty salad that would be a perfectly packable lunch or a super side salad.

 Simple Greek Avocado Quinoa Salad

Ingredients:

½ cup quinoa

1 avocado, ¼ inch cubes

½ cup grape tomatoes, quartered

2 green onions, sliced

2 T fresh parsley, chopped

1/3 cup feta cheese

Salt and pepper

Instructions:

1.       Cook quinoa according to package instructions (I use broth instead of water and add ½ a clove of garlic for more flavor).

2.       Prepare all other salad ingredients.

3.       Mix together quinoa and salad ingredients, hot or cold and enjoy! Yep, it’s that easy.