Quinoa Salad with Lemon Basil Dressing Recipe

Ok, so we know I've been taking baby steps toward becoming a better cook and hopefully someday will achieve kitchen greatness like my sister, Mom, and Gram...someday, someday.

But this quinoa salad with lemon basil dressing recipe is
1) easy and came be made quickly
2) loaded with greenery and healthy goodness
3) another stand-by recipe for summer picnics and parties #FTW

I found and pinned this Quinoa Salad with Lemon Basil Dressing on the beloved Pinterest and made a few tweaks for my liking. (Original recipe from two peas & their pod).

Here's what you'll need to make Quinoa Salad with Lemon Basil Dressing:

Serves 4-6

For the Dressing:
3 tablespoons olive oil
4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon honey or agave nectar
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh basil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

For the salad:
2 cups water
1 cup quinoa
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup of frozen chopped asparagus spears
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice (to prevent the avocado from browning)
1 cup frozen peas
1 cup of edamame
1 avocado, chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/4 cup chopped basil (I love basil and added a wee bit more)

Perfect summer picnic salad: add some greenery to your scenery!

Directions:

1. In a small bowl or medium jar, combine the dressing ingredients. Whisk to combine or shake with the jar lid on tight. Set aside.
2. Add water, quinoa, and salt to a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Boil for 5 minutes. Turn the heat to low and simmer for about 15 minutes, or until water is absorbed. Remove from heat and fluff with a fork.
3. While the quinoa is cooking, this is the part you can be ambitious or take the easy route...baby steps, right? Either cook the fresh asparagus and peas, or use the frozen kind (I opted for frozen chopped asparagus spears and peas and popped those bad boys right in the microwave.)
4. In a large bowl, combine quinoa, asparagus, peas, edamame and avocado. Pour the dressing over the salad and stir until well coated. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Stir in the fresh basil and serve. Boom. Easy peasy!

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