Lemon Asparagus Quinoa Salad ~ #TheSaladBar

I love salads … I eat them year-round, but especially in the summer. So I’ve joined up with this group of Bloggers called The Salad Bar and every month we’re doing a salad party with a theme. The theme for July is pot luck salads and we’re all making salads you could take to a pot luck. Personally, I prefer green salads, but it seems everyone likes pasta and potato salads at pot luck parties. Well, how about a quinoa salad? I love the chewy texture of quinoa and the light nutty taste. It is so healthy, full of fiber and protein, gluten free and versatile, too. You can use it for anything from salads to sides to desserts and breakfast.

It also just happens to be my 2nd Blogiversary. Two years ago today, I posted my very first Sumptuous Spoonfuls recipe. Today I’m posting my 625th post. I’ve learned so much, made so many friends, and gone on (virtual) culinary journeys all around the world. I can’t tell you how grateful I am for all the comments, visits, and inspiration that the foodie community shares with me.

Thank you for being here. I’m looking forward to spending many more sumptuous days with you. 🙂

Lemon Asparagus Quinoa Salad with Fresh Rosemary

• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 15 minutes
• Total Time: 30 minutes
• Yield: Over 5 cups of salad 1x

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 1 1/2 cups cooked asparagus
• 3 cups cooked quinoa (about 1 cup uncooked)
• 1 fresh carrot, peeled & thinly sliced (about 1/3 cup)
• 1/3 cup chopped red onion

For the dressing:

• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1 clove of garlic, peeled and chopped fine
• 1 Tablespoon white wine
• 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar or honey
• 1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• To garnish: toasted almonds, sesame seeds & fresh lemon slices

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Instructions

1. Cook the quinoa according to the package instructions.
2. Steam or roast the asparagus for about 15 minutes until crisp tender and bright green, then set it in a colander and rinse with cold water to stop it from over-cooking. Chop it into pieces and set aside.
3. Now make the dressing: in a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, garlic, wine, rosemary and sugar or honey. While whisking, drizzle the olive oil in a very thin stream into the dressing.
4. Put all the salad ingredients in a medium mixing bowl and stir to mix everything up well. Add the dressing and stir some more. At this point, you can put the salad in a covered container in the fridge and store until it’s party time.
5. At serving time, scoop the salad into a serving bowl and top with a couple tablespoons of toasted almond slices and about a teaspoon of toasted sesame seeds. Garnish with fresh lemon slices and serve.

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Notes

RECIPE SOURCE: http://www.sumptuousspoonfuls.com/

© Copyright 2013, Sumptuous Spoonfuls. All images & content are copyright protected. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If you want to publish any of my images, please ask first. If you want to republish this recipe as your own, please re-write the recipe in your own words or link back to this post for the recipe.

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Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1/2 - 1 cup of salad

Click on the little froggy head below to see the other great pot luck salads from #TheSaladBar.

This recipe was also shared at What to Do Weekends, Scrumptious Sunday, Marvelous Monday, Clever Chicks Bloghop, Wednesday Extravaganza, Foodie Friends Friday Picnic Party and Weekend Potluck.