Seven Layer Vegetable and Quinoa Salad
Have trifle bowl—will impress. This gorgeous salad with layers of red, yellow and green vegetables will leave your guests wide-eyed and wowed before the serving spoon hits the bowl. Protein-packed quinoa makes this a well-balanced, meatless meal, tossed with ginger-apple dressing for extra taste and tang.
Ingredients
- 1 cup uncooked quinoa
- 2 cups vegetable stock
- 1 cup red bell pepper, seeded, cut into thin strips
- 1 cup yellow bell pepper, seeded, cut into thin strips
- 1 cup thinly sliced carrots, divided
- 1 cup frozen shelled edamame, thawed
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
- 1 package (5 oz.) DOLE® 50/50 Salad Blend
- Ginger-Apple Dressing (recipe below)
Directions
- Cook quinoa in vegetable stock according to package instructions. Once cooked, remove from heat.
- Set 1 tablespoon of carrots aside to toss later with salad blend. Using a 6- to 8-inch tall trifle bowl or straight-sided glass bowl, begin layering ingredients, starting with quinoa. Continue by layering bell peppers, remaining carrots and edamame. Season each layer with salt and pepper as desired.
- Lightly toss salad blend with reserved 1 tablespoon carrots and 1/3 dressing; neatly place on top. Serve the remaining Ginger-Apple Dressing on the side.
Ginger-Apple Dressing: Combine 1/2 cup orange juice, 1/4 cup apple juice, 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar, 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh ginger and 1 teaspoon lime juice in a small jar with a secure lid. Shake well; season to taste with salt and fresh ground pepper. Refrigerate any unused dressing. Makes about 3/4 cup.
Tips & tricks
Barley or basmati rice works just as well in place of quinoa. Use pre-cooked, frozen edamame to save a little extra time, and fresh-squeezed juice from a lemon for a little extra brightness.