Quinoa Salad

I've made a protein-packed quinoa salad for a few recent pot-luck dinners. Even people who can't pronounce quinoa and are a bit skeptical of its rice-meets-couscous-like texture really enjoyed it. (And of course my tofu-pressing, kale-munching, vegan-cupcake-eating friends loved it, too). The basic idea is to cook the quinoa in vegetable broth (throw the raisins in halfway through to plumpen them up) and let it cool. On the side, mix together everything else. Combine and serve! Beware: this recipe makes a ton I would recommend halving the recipe.



12 ounces (2 cups, or 340 g) prewashed dry quinoa
5 cups (1.2 l) water or low-sodium vegetable broth
1 packed cup (165 g) raisins
1/4 cup (60 ml) apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup (60 ml) fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup (120 ml) olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons red pepper flakes, adjust to taste
1/4 cup chopped fresh green onions
2 large cloves garlic, peeled and minced
Pinch sea salt, adjust to taste
Cracked black pepper, adjust to taste, optional
Heaping 1/3 cup (50 g) salted roasted pepitas
4 large carrots, peeled and finely grated
One 15-ounce (425-g) can of red beans, drained and rinsed
One 15-ounce (425-g) can of black beans, drained and rinsed

Recipe and photo credit to Have Cake Will Travel.