Toasted Garlic Quinoa With Tomatoes and Basil Salad Recipe

This toasted garlic quinoa with tomatoes and basil recipe took me completely by surprise. I had absolutely no plans to cook quinoa or toast garlic, but my friend Erica was coming over at 1 pm to hang out (or enjoy a blogging feast ), and I thought I should have something ready. Erica rarely eats gluten, so I decided to make quinoa at the last minute. And boy, did it come together!

Isn’t it amazing how pleasant surprises can be? I plan most of my time, but I’ll admit that life wouldn’t be exciting without surprises.

The pleasant surprise this weekend is having my friend Erica over for toasted garlic quinoa and wine instead of going out for a happy hour. Sometimes a different setting allows you to connect in a way you hadn’t expected.

Toasted Garlic Quinoa With Tomatoes and Basil Salad Recipe

Phoebe Green

This toasted garlic quinoa with tomatoes and basil salad recipe is a refreshing salad to try. This is an easy recipe you can make at home when you want a healthy meal.

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

Course Salad

Cuisine American

Servings 2 people

Calories 491 kcal

Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

 

1x2x3x

• 1 cup (affiliate link)quinoa
• 5 cloves garlic
• 1 tablespoon (affiliate link)olive oil extra virgin
• 5 small vine tomatoes fresh
• 1 cup cinnamon basil fresh
• ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
• 3 turns (affiliate link)ground black pepper freshly ground
• ¼ cup Toscano cheese with Black Pepper

Instructions

 

• Smash the garlic cloves on a cutting board with your palm against the flat part of the knife.
• Remove the skin and trim the cloves. Sprinkle kosher salt over the cloves.
• Using a fork, smash the garlic into the salt until it breaks up. Slice if desired.
• Add enough olive oil to the pan to cover the bottom. Add the cloves and heat the oil on low until the cloves begin to brown and curl. Remove from the heat and set aside. Next, prepare the quinoa according to the package directions.
• Transfer the cooked quinoa to a bowl and fold the toasted garlic and olive oil. Add sliced tomatoes and basil leaves and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Drizzle olive oil on top and serve immediately. We especially enjoyed this with chilled chardonnay and Toscano cheese.

Nutrition

Calories: 491kcalCarbohydrates: 67gProtein: 18gFat: 18gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 14mgSodium: 692mgPotassium: 1114mgFiber: 9gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 2690IUVitamin C: 36mgCalcium: 204mgIron: 5mg

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