Quinoa Crab Salad with Jalapeno Vinaigrette

15.03.2013 Jackie Dott-Mallory (Senior Editor) 8 Comments

I could eat this salad every day.

I realize that quinoa has become a food trend that will inevitably run it’s course, I don’t care. I’ll love it and I’ll eat it long after it’s no longer cool.

The first time I made it, I cooked it the same way I cook rice and the results were pretty sad and mushy. I did some digging and figure out a few quinoa tricks and started to cook it this way. It has more flavor and better texture and it isn’t mushy at all, now I’m hooked.

After I made the jalapenos dressing I wandered around my kitchen looking for more things to eat it with, it’s amazing. I’m so glad I started making my own dressing, it takes about 30 seconds. It’s great to be able to through a bunch of ingredients in a blender and those little ingredients come out as a delicious sauce.

Quinoa Crab Salad with Jalapeno Vinaigrette

Ingredients

For the Salad:

• ½ cup dry quinoa
• ¾ cup water
• 2 cup baby arugula, washed
• 6 ounces lump crab meat, drained
• 1 heirloom tomato, chopped
• Yield: 4 side dish portions

For The Jalapeno Vinaigrette:

• 1 large jalapeno, stem and seeds removed, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, rough chopped
• 1 small shallot, rough chopped
• 1 tbs lemon juice
• 2 tbs aple cider vinegar
• ¼ cup olive oil
• pinch salt and pepper

Instructions

1. Add the quinoa to a dry pan, toast until you can smell it cooking, about 3 minutes. Add the water, bring to a simmer over medium heat. Add the lid at a vent. Cook for 16 minutes. Remove from heat, cover and allow to steam for 10 minutes. Let the quinoa cool to room temperature.
2. Add quinoa, arugula, crab meat, and tomatoes to a bowl , toss to combine.
3. In a blender add the jalapeno, garlic, shallots, lemon juice, vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper. Blend until well combined. Drizzle desire amount of vinaigrette to the salad (this recipe makes more dressing than this salad needs, save the extra for future salads).