When I want a salad for lunch, this is my go-to. Every time. I can’t help but love it because it’s fast to assemble. And since I try to keep cooked quinoa in the fridge weekly, so this is even snappier to make.

I also use this salad to clean out my fridge. I make pickled veg all summer long, so an easy way to use the pickled item all up since it doesn’t last long (about three weeks) is to throw some of each type into my salads. I love colourful, tasty, vibrant pickled items like red onion and carrots. They just set the creamy salad dressings off so nicely.

Note: There are studies to indicate that fermented or even simply pickled veg are great for the gut, so I try to eat a lot of each type, as often as I can. But they also break up normal meals so they don’t get monogamous over time. Mix it up!

Here is how I made enough for an baby entree sized serving. Add protein if desired.

Quinoa Chopped Salad:
1/2 C Cooked Quinoa
1/2 C Shredded Lettuce
1 Persian Cucumber, quartered and sliced
1/4 Roma Tomato, diced
2 Forkfuls of Pickled Red Onion Slices
2 Forkfuls of Pickled Carrot Strands
Creamy Dressing of choice, enough to coat everything in the bowl at the very least