Colorful Quick Quinoa Grecian Salad

Holly brought this over for a side with our burgers the other night - great choice! Very light and very good for you! We have made this several times and I really like making extra dressing, so it doesn't dry out. The quinoa really absorbs the liquid. I use 4TBSP's of olive oil and 4TBSP's of vinegar. I couldn't find the sherry vinegar (could find sherry wine) - I use the Rice Vinegar flavored with basil and oregano.

Yield: 10 servings (serving size: 1 cup)

Ingredients
2 cups uncooked quinoa
3 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
2 tablespoons extravirgin olive oil
1 teaspoon minced fresh mint
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon sherry vinegar
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered
1 cup thinly sliced radicchio
1/2 cup chopped yellow bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped English cucumber
1/3 cup (about 1 1/2 ounces) crumbled reduced-fat feta cheese
3 tablespoons chopped pitted kalamata olives
1 tablespoon minced shallots

Preparation

Place quinoa in a large bowl; cover with water. Let stand 5 minutes; rinse well, and drain.
Bring broth to a boil in a large saucepan; stir in quinoa. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Uncover; fluff with a fork. Cool to room temperature.
Combine olive oil and next 5 ingredients (through sea salt) in a large bowl. Add cooled quinoa, tomatoes, and the remaining ingredients; toss well.

Margee Berry, White Salmon, WA, Cooking Light, APRIL 2006