Spring Strawberry and Asparagus Quinoa

This salad is light and refreshing but also substantial enough to be a main dish or lunch entree.  It features some of my favorite spring produce, asparagus, strawberries and peas an it is so delicious!  Also it is packed with fiber, protein and nutrients so you can feel good about serving this to your family!

Author: Amy Lyons O’Neil

Amy has worked for Fresh and Natural Foods since 2006 contributing to the variety of healthful foods we offer. She graduated with a degree in studio art from Bethel University in 2007, but in her senior year of college, found that her passion was with the art of food. She later used her photography and culinary skills to create a vegan food and recipe blog, Fragrant Vanilla Cake. She has also written 3 cookbooks. She specializes in vegan and vegetarian recipes. Local, fresh and organic food has always been her focus in whatever she creates.

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Servings: 2-4 | Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 15 minutes | Ready in: 45 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 cups filtered water
• 1 cup quinoa, rinsed
• 2 cups fresh organic asparagus cut into 1 inch pieces
• 2 cups sliced organic strawberries
• 1 cup organic peas (frozen are fine, just thaw them first)
• 2 Tbsp avocado oil or olive oil
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1 Tbsp lemon zest
• 1/4 tsp sea salt or to taste

Instructions

1. Place quinoa and water in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover and cook until all the water is absorbed about 15 minutes, or when all the grains have turned from white to transparent, and the spiral-like germ has separated. Drain, and let cool.
2. When quinoa is cool, combine with the asparagus, strawberries, and peas.
3. Whisk together oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, and sea salt. Toss dressing with salad, and serve!