Ugh, what a week its been. Long story short, I ended up with severe bacterial pneumonia that was mistaken for coronavirus, and I’ve never been more sick in my life. I was self isolated to my bedroom for an entire week while waiting on test results, but since they came back negative, I’m now out to freely roam my home and cook in my own kitchen. It’s the little things.
Given that I am still pretty tired and weak from last weeks ordeal, I wanted to keep today’s recipe simple, healthy and bursting with flavor, and I think this Quinoa Sweet Corn Edamame Salad does the trick. It’s vibrant, full of veggies, and comes together in a flash. Frozen sweet corn and shelled edamame make this even quicker, and my super easy lemon mustard dressing really gives this a tangy kick.
This salad is a plant-based powerhouse. It’s an excellent side or main dish, and gives you a boost of both protein and nutrients. If you want to make it more hearty, add in some avocado chunks.
Quinoa Sweet Corn Edamame Salad
Author: The Lean Clean Eating Machine
- 1 cup dry quinoa; I used Bob’s Red Mill
- 2 cups water
- 5 cups chopped curly kale; hard stems removed
- 1/2 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 cup frozen sweet corn; thawed under cool water
- 1 cup frozen edamame; thawed under cool water
- 1/2 cup julienned carrots; cut into matchsticks
- 1 red bell pepper; chopped into small pieced
- 1/4 green onion; finely diced
- 1/4 cup fresh Italian parsley; finely chopped
- Salt and pepper to taste
Dressing:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Juice of 1 large lemon + a little extra if needed to thin slightly
- 4 tablespoons stone ground mustard
- 1/4 teaspoon herbs de provence seasoning
- 2 tablespoons fresh basil; finely chopped
* Note: If your are planning on eating this throughout the week, you may want to double the dressing and save it to the side as the quinoa will naturally absorb some of the dressing as it sets.
Instructions:
- Rinse and drain your quinoa using a mesh strainer, making sure to rinse until water runs clear.
- In a small/medium pot, bring your 2 cups of water to a boil and add in your quinoa. Return water to a boil, cover, and reduce heat to medium/low and simmer for 12 minutes or until quinoa is fluffy and the liquid has been absorbed. When finished, remove quinoa from heat, fluff with a fork, cover and let set for an additional 15 minutes.
- While the quinoa sets, wash and dry your chopped kale (I use my salad spinner), and massage with a drizzle of oil. Toss kale with prepared parsley, carrot, bell pepper, green onion, thawed corn and edamame in a large bowl.
- In a small dish, combine all of your ingredients for your dressing. Whisk to thoroughly combine.
- Once your quinoa is ready, fluff with a fork and season with salt and pepper to taste. Set quinoa aside to cool off slightly, then add to the rest of your veggies and stir to throughly mix.
- Add in dressing and stir to coat.
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Serve immediately, or keep in the fridge in a sealed container for up to 3 days.