Quinoa Tabbouleh

Quinoa is one of my favorite grains, mainly due to its fluffy (yet slightly crunchy) consistency , nutty flavor, and fantastic nutritional value. As a vegetarian, I'm always on the lookout for good protein soures. Quinoa has a 12%–18% protein content (compared to ~7% in rice) and has a full set of amino acids. And of course it's full of fiber and a good source of phosphorus, magnesium and iron. Awesome, no? And did I mention it only takes like 15 minutes to cook?
(Thanks, wikipedia, for all those factoids)

So getting on with this recipe: Quinoa Tabbouleh makes for a colorful, light, nutritious, and simple summer meal. I adapted the recipe below from The Kitchn.

Ingredients

1 cup dry quinoa
1 red onion
1 pint cherry tomatoes
2 cloves garlic
1 bunch flat-leaved parsley (about 3 cups, but I'm never very precise)
8 ounces feta
2 ears fresh corn
1/4 cup good extra-virgin olive oil
Juice from 1 lemon (+extra to taste)
salt and pepper to taste

When cooking à l'Emmanuelle, assembly details don't matter so much. So my instructions for this recipe? Cook the quinoa, the rest of the ingredients are raw (yes, even the corn, try it). Cut everything up, add a mixture of lemon juice and olive oil, and toss. Salt and pepper to taste.

You can explore with different ingredients. Try adding mint or basil, cucumber, maybe even some fresh fruit? I added corn to this recipe and thought it added a delightful sweetness to it.

With the entire salad assembled and tossed, the longer you let it sit, the more the flavors evolve and fuse together. I love making a large batch then eating it for lunch all week.

Enjoy!