Green Bean & Radish Quinoa Salad

I am still getting used to quinoa. It is a not a food I grew up eating. In fact, I didn’t really try it until maybe five years ago. It wasn’t because I was purposely trying to avoid it, it was just so off the beaten path. And, to be honest, I didn’t think I’d have time to master it given that I was still on baby #1 and trying to get quick meals on table. Fast forward a few years and now I am braver and more intrigued. I like quinoa. It serves a great backdrop to lots of flavorful healthy foods and can be used in so many dishes. I still, however, look for recipes using quinoa for ideas on what to make. I am not a pro at whipping up amazing quinoa salads with no guidance whatsoever. So when I saw this recipe on Megan’s website I knew I had to try it. It was full of flavor and green vegetables and perfect for getting on the table in a jiffy.

Since asparagus is no longer in season around here I decided to use haricot vert as the main green vegetable in the salad. The rest of the ingredients were super easy. The herbs were on the back porch, radishes are easy to come by in the store, and I used a quinoa mix from Trader Joe’s. While my son was napping I assembled the salad and let it cool. Then I dressed it with the dressing right before dinner. At first I felt the dressing was a little blah so I added a touch more salt and lemon zest and that really woke it up for me.

We paired this with some simple grilled chicken and loved it on a hot late summer evening. In fact, I saved the rest and ate it for lunch the next day. It was just as delicious, if not even better, as the night before. If you are a newish to quinoa like me this is the salad for you this fall. I’m already thinking of ways I am going to adapt it for the next iteration.