Layered mason jar quinoa and veggie salad
4
Points®
Total time: 52 min • Prep: 22 min • Cook: 15 min • Serves: 8 • Difficulty: Easy
This light lunch (or side dish) by Chef Carla Hall is served layered in an easily portable mason jar, making it ideal for on-the-go meals. Red quinoa, which becomes more brown once it is cooked, has a slightly nuttier flavor and chewier texture than the more commonly available white quinoa. It is often preferred for cold salads as it tends to hold its shape better after it is cooked, and it also offers a pretty visual contrast to the colorful vegetables. But nutritionally, there is no difference between the varieties, and they are all cooked exactly the same, with only some slight variation in cooking time.
Ingredients
Uncooked quinoa
1 cup(s), red variety
Uncooked string beans
¾ pound(s), chopped into bite-size pieces
Dill
2 sprig(s), fresh, chopped
Cooked corn
2 ear(s), medium, kernels cut off cob
Jalapeño pepper
1 small, seeded and finely chopped
Red bell pepper
1 cup(s), diced
Nectarine
1 medium, finely diced
Lemon zest
1½ tsp
Fresh lemon juice
1½ Tbsp
Canola oil
4 Tbsp, or other mild oil
Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp
Sugar
¼ tsp
Kosher salt
½ tsp, or to taste
Black pepper
1 pinch(es), freshly ground
Instructions
1
Cook quinoa according to package instructions; fluff with a fork and let cool to room temperature.
2
Blanch green beans in salted water; drain and toss with dill.
3
Toss corn with jalapeno.
4
Evenly divide and layer corn, quinoa, red pepper, green beans and nectarine among 8 pint-size mason jars (leave at least 1-inch space from neck of jar); screw lid on and refrigerate until ready to serve.
5
Whisk together lemon zest and juice, oil, mustard, sugar, salt and pepper iin a bowl.
6
When ready to serve, spoon 1 Tbsp dressing into each jar and shake to coat evenly.
7
Serving Size: 1 jar
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