Quinoa salad helps you — and your kitchen — keep cool in summer
This recipe combines hearty quinoa, refreshing honeydew melon, spicy chile peppers and a bright cumin lime dressing for a salad that is filling and cooling. Perfect for a workweek of lunches or a potluck. The quinoa cooking method comes from Gwyneth Paltrow’s book “It’s All Good” (Grand Central Life and Style, 2015).
Quinoa Salad with Melon and Lime Cumin Dressing
Serves 2-4
1 cup rinsed, uncooked quinoa
1 3⁄4 cup salted water
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon honey
1⁄4 teaspoon ground cayenne
1⁄2 teaspoon ground cumin
Pinch salt
1 cup diced honeydew melon
1 ⁄2 yellow pepper, cut into strips
1⁄2 cup quartered cherry tomatoes (Sungold if you can find them)
3 tablespoons minced chives
1 fresno or serrano chile pepper, minced
When temperatures soar, turning on the oven is the last thing you want to do.
If you can stand using the cooktop for a mere 12 minutes, you can make this hearty quinoa salad for a few weekday lunches or your next potluck.
The added benefit to this salad is the extra spice from the cayenne-spiked dressing and minced chile peppers.
People in the tropics frequently enjoy spicy foods, and that’s because scientifically, they do cool you down. Spicy foods, and hot drinks, cause an increase in sweating. If you are in the right place and wearing the right clothing, this sweat evaporates and you will feel cooler.
Scientists do debate what actually causes the increase in sweating. Some attribute the rise in the body’s core temperature, while others theorize there are thermosensors lining the mouth and throat that may trigger additional sweating.
Additionally, this salad is delicious chilled, and the honeydew melon is juicy and refreshing. So you can cool down, feel invigorated and get several servings of fruits and veggies all in a single bowl.
This is one of those salads that can be easily customized to the ingredients you have on hand. No quinoa? Farro, rice or barley would be suitable substitutions. Different veggies arrive in your CSA box this week? No problem, toss them in. Diced carrots, shredded beets, spinach greens or others would be welcome at this party. No limes? Use lemons.
And if you’d like a few more calories/ fat/protein, try adding some feta cheese or chopped pistachios or sunflower seeds.
And this recipe can be easily scaled up for more lunches or a larger crowd.
No matter how hot it is, if you can’t stand the heat you can still get in the kitchen and make something nourishing and uplifting that might even cool you down.
Bring salted water to a boil. Add quinoa and cook covered, for 12-15 minutes. When water is absorbed and quinoa is tender, turn off heat, cover pot with a clean towel and put the lid back on. Let sit for 5 minutes, then remove the towel and fluff with a fork.
Meanwhile, whisk together lime juice, olive oil, honey, cayenne, cumin and salt for dressing. Place warm quinoa in a bowl and toss with dressing.
Gently fold in melon, pepper, tomatoes, chives and chile pepper. Add additional salt if needed. Serve warm, chilled or at room temperature.