Garden Quinoa Salad

I know what some of you are thinking. Quinoa and salad in the same line are an automatic "NO." I understand that.

I get that many IBD patients cannot tolerate grains like quinoa and raw veggies such as peppers and carrots, but for some patients (myself included) eating whole grains and veggies is a big part of their diet.

I went gluten-free because of Crohn's

I am coming up on my 10th anniversary of living a gluten-free lifestyle, and with that came a learning curve of what I could and couldn't eat, since it can be confusing as to what contains gluten. I knew pasta and bread were out, but what about quinoa and couscous? Turns out, quinoa is gluten-free but couscous is not, despite their similar shape and texture.

I also have cut out processed meats and most dairy, so the traditional pasta salad wasn't going to cut it as my go-to side. I knew I had to pivot and find something that worked for me and my diet, so making a quinoa salad that only included fresh, clean ingredients was exactly what fit my diet and taste.

This particular salad also avoids bottled salad dressing and is only dressed with fresh lemon juice, salt, pepper, and a little bit of garlic powder. I am excited to share this with you if you are looking for the perfect side that is vegan, gluten-free and dairy-free, super easy to make, and is delicious!

Makes 6-8 servings

Ingredients for garden quinoa salad

• 1 cup dry quinoa, cooked according to package
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 1/2 cups cooked or 1 can (15 oz.) chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed
• 1 1/2 cups cucumber, quartered and thinly sliced
• 1 red or yellow bell pepper (about 1 cup), diced
• 1 cup grape tomatoes, sliced in half
• 3/4 cup carrots, diced small
• 1/2 cup scallions, thinly sliced
• 1/2–1 cup parsley, chopped
• 2–3 juicy lemons' juice (about 1/4 – 1/3 cup)
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions for garden quinoa salad

1. While the quinoa is cooking, prep the veggies.
2. Once quinoa is ready, add the chickpeas, carrots, cucumber, scallions, bell pepper, tomatoes, parsley, lemon juice, and spices. Mix well.
3. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve chilled.