Warm Quinoa Snap Pea Salad (Printable Version)
Fluffy quinoa tossed with roasted snap peas, cherry tomatoes, and a bright lemon mustard dressing.
# Ingredient List:
→ Grains
01 - 1 cup quinoa, rinsed
02 - 2 cups water
→ Vegetables
03 - 2 cups sugar snap peas, trimmed
04 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
05 - 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
→ Dressing
06 - 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
07 - 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
08 - 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
09 - 1 small garlic clove, minced
10 - 1/2 teaspoon honey
11 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
→ Garnish
12 - 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese (optional)
13 - 2 tablespoons fresh mint or parsley, chopped
# How to Make It:
01 - Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C).
02 - Place snap peas on a baking sheet, drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 10–12 minutes until slightly blistered and tender.
03 - While peas roast, combine quinoa and water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook for 15 minutes or until water is absorbed. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, for 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork.
04 - In a small bowl, whisk together remaining olive oil, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, garlic, honey, salt, and pepper to make the dressing.
05 - In a large bowl, combine warm quinoa, roasted snap peas, cherry tomatoes, and red onion. Drizzle with dressing and toss gently to combine.
06 - Top with feta cheese and fresh herbs before serving.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The warmth of freshly cooked quinoa softens the raw onion and slightly wilts the tomatoes, creating textures you just cannot get from a cold salad.
- Roasting snap peas concentrates their sweetness while keeping that satisfying snap when you bite into them.
- It works as a standalone lunch or sits comfortably next to grilled anything at dinner.
02 -
- Do not skip rinsing the quinoa or you will taste a bitter, soapy film that no amount of dressing can fix.
- Letting the quinoa rest covered off the heat for five minutes before fluffing is the difference between fluffy grains and a gummy clump.
03 -
- Taste a snap pea raw before roasting: if it is already very sweet, shorten the roast time by a couple minutes so the sugar does not burn.
- Dressing the quinoa while it is still warm allows it to absorb flavor more deeply than if you wait for it to cool completely.