LEMONY ARTICHOKE AND QUINOA SALAD
I’m eating fridge salads all summer. What do you think? Are you aware of what is a refrigerator salad? It’s a healthy salad that stands well to the cold (doesn’t become limp and soggy like lettuce) and is the perfect meal prepper’s companion. In the summer, I enjoy making large quantities of salads in the refrigerator, such as the one below, Lemony Artichoke, and Quinoa Salad I can eat throughout the week. Sometimes I eat them as a light meal, and sometimes, I serve them as a snack and occasionally as a base dish for bowl-style meals. They’re delicious, versatile, and aren’t wasted in my home!
SUBSTITUTIONS AND ADD-INS
This dish is highly versatile, and here are some additional ingredients that can be included in this salad in the event you don’t like the ones I’ve listed, can’t find the items for a reasonable cost, or happen to have a few of these ingredients in your pantry and want to make use of them:
Orzo or couscous as a substitute for the quinoa
Cucumber
tomatoes (diced and grape tomatoes cut into half)
Feta
Roasted Red Peppers
Red Onion
Serve with a dollop of Hummus.
HOW TO SERVE LEMONY ARTICHOKE AND QUINOA SALAD
This dish was designed to be a vegan/vegetarian main dish with a generous serving of two cups. However, it can be used as a snack to a food item (smaller portion size, around one cup). This could be a fantastic base for a bowl meal (add grilling chicken or hard-boiled eggs) or put into a pita for an alternative to sandwiches.
HOW LONG DOES THIS SALAD KEEP?
It’s a great recipe. Lemony Artichoke and Quinoa Salad are very durable and suitable for four to five days in the fridge (time will vary based on refrigeration conditions). I haven’t attempted freezing this salad yet; however, given how it freezes and how well my cauliflower roast,, and Quinoa Salad,, can be frozen, I believe it would freeze very well. I’ve found that frozen items such as this are optimal if consumed within three months of purchase.
INGREDIENTS
1 cup quinoa ($1.20)
Fresh lemons cost $0.30 for 1 ($0.37)
1 cup olive oil ($0.48)
Two cloves of garlic, chopped ($0.16)
One teaspoon salt ($0.05)
freshly cracked pepper ($0.05)
1 13oz. heart of artichoke quartered ($2.59)
One red bell pepper ($1.00)
1 cup of fresh parsley chopped ($0.35)
1 15oz. Can chickpeas ($0.49)
INSTRUCTIONS
Rinse the quinoa thoroughly in a fine mesh filter. Place the quinoa rinsed in a saucepan with 1.75 cups of water. Cover the pot, turn the heat up to high, and let the water reach a boiling point. When it is at a whole boiling point, reduce the heat to a low temperature and allow it to simmer for about 15 minutes (lid off).
While the quinoa cooks, make your lemon-garlic dressing. Zest the lemon, then squeeze out the juice (you’ll require 1/4 to 1/3 cup of juice). Add the lemon juice as well as 1 tsp zest to a jar or bowl together with olive oil, chopped garlic and salt, and freshly smashed pepper (10-15 cranks of a mill). Mix the ingredients or close the jar, and shake until the ingredients are well-combined. Place the dressing in a bowl.
Once the quinoa is prepared, place it into a casserole or another shallow dish. Then keep it covered in the refrigerator for around 15 minutes so that it cools down.
When the quinoa has cooled, you can prepare the other salad ingredients. The artichoke hearts should be rinsed and then roughly chopped into smaller bits. Finely chop the bell pepper red. Cut the parsley into small pieces. Clean and drain chickpeas. Put the artichoke heart, parsley, bell pepper, and chickpeas in one large bowl.
After the quinoa has been cooled and is ready to be added to the bowl along with the other ingredients for the salad, combine gently, and then drizzle the dressing with lemon garlic over the top. Then gently toss until everything is completely coated with sauce. Serve immediately or store in the refrigerator for 4-5 days.
