Fattoush Quinoa Salad in 3 Steps

Here is my take on one of my favorite Middle Eastern salads, called Fattoush. Fattoush traditionally has lettuce and pita bread, but I have replaced the two with quinoa. I have never been a fan of lettuce, it's a long story, people :). 

It takes 15 minutes to prepare this salad, so you can make it on a weeknight, and save some for lunch next day. 

Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 20 minutes
Serves 4

Ingredients:
1/2 cup of quinoa
1 cup of water (for cooking the quinoa)
2 Persian cucumbers (sliced)
4 radishes (thinly sliced)
1 large tomato (chopped)
3 green onions (thinly sliced)
2 green chilies (seed and membrane removed, thinly sliced)
1/2 cup of mint leaves (chopped)
1/2 cup of flat-leaf parsley (chopped)
Dressing
Juice of half a lime
1/4 cup of olive oil
1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder (or 1 clove of garlic crushed)
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/4 teaspoon of coriander powder
1 1/4 teaspoons of sumac
1/8 teaspoon of black pepper

Step 1: Cook the quinoa following the instructions shown in the Pomegranate Quinoa recipe. Let it cool completely.

Step 2: In a small bowl, whisk together, juice of half a lime, olive oil, garlic, salt, coriander powder, sumac, and black pepper. Set aside.

Step 3: In a mixing bowl, add quinoa, Persian cucumbers, radishes, tomatoes, green onions, green chillies, mint and parsley leaves. Add the dressing. Toss until blended.

Voila, your delicious salad is ready!

Dig in!