Quinoa, Feta & Avocado Salad

From Stonesoup
I’ve really been getting into feta lately. It’s become my go to cheese when I would have normally reached for a soft cheese like ricotta or goats cheese.

If you’re making this in advance, leave out the avocado and toss it in just before you’re ready to eat. Otherwise you’ll have icky brown chunks of avocado in your salad. And just refrigerate as soon as the salad is made so no bugs get a chance to grow.

I normally cook up a big batch of quinoa and then use it for different things throughout the week.

Enough for 2
Takes: 20 minutes
100g (3.5oz) quinoa
1 tablespoon rice or wine vinegar
200g (7oz) packet feta, I like Greek style best
1 bunch flat leaf parsley, chopped
1 avocado

1. Bring a medium pot of water to the boil. Rinse quinoa and add to the pot simmer for 12-15 minutes or until quinoa is tender. Drain well.

2. Whisk vinegar with 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil. Toss in quinoa and parsley.

3. Crumble over feta and scoop chunks of avocado on top. Season mostly with pepper and leave the feta to provide the salt.

Variations

dairy-free / vegan – replace the feta with roasted almonds.

carnivore – add some grilled chicken.

paleo – replace the feta with 3-4 hard boiled eggs. And replace the quinoa with roast almonds and use extra salad leaves.

cooked quinoa – if you’ve cooked up a big batch of quinoa in advance you’ll need about 300g (10oz) cooked quinoa for the recipe.

no quinoa? – replace with 300g (10oz) cooked lentils or brown rice or see the ‘paleo’ variation above.

no rice wine vinegar – use lemon juice, sherry vinegar or white wine vinegar instead.

different cheese – If you’re not pregnant, go nuts with your favourite goats cheese or even a creamy blue.

carb lovers / more substantial – extra quinoa.

Waste Avoidance Strategy

quinoa / vinegar – keep in the pantry.

feta – keeps for months unopened in its packet. Or can be frozen. Or you could make a marinated feta by putting it in a super clean jar from the dishwasher and covering with oil and then keeping it in the fridge. Sometimes I like to add flavourings like bay leaves, lemon zest and pepper corns or chilli.

flat leaf parsley – tends to be the most long lasting of the leafy herbs. Should keep for a few weeks in the fridge if wrapped in a plastic bag. For longer periods pop it in the freezer – it will wilt but will still be useable in this dish.

avocado – use for another meal.

Add to my Old Favourite Recipes