Why Vegetarian Barbecue: When I first stopped eating meat, the thought of summer barbecues made me sad. I knew summer gatherings where barbecues were involved, would never be the same. And they haven’t been, but I’ve learned that with a little bit of extra effort, they can be just as enjoyable. With that in mind, over the next few weeks I’m going to share some of my favorite recipes for a Vegetarian Barbecue
Last Week: Southwestern Black Bean Burgers
This Week: Today’s recipe was inspired by a salad I had at my friend’s sister’s graduation party. Quinoa salad is an excellent salad for a vegetarian barbecue (or picnic) because of all the protein it packs. Protein is always what people ask about when they discover I’m a vegetarian. “Well where do you get your protein?” is always the second thing they ask, once they’ve accosted me for my reasons. This salad is the perfect protein rich salad, with quinoa, chick peas, and edamame. Additionally,it tastes so good, both vegetarians and meat-eaters will enjoy it.
The Ingredients: 2 Cups uncooked Quinoa, vegetable broth, 1 bay leaf, a Garlic clove, 2 cups cooked chick peas, 1 cup cooked shelled edamame, 1-2 chopped tomatoes, 1 chopped red onion, chopped parsley, 1 cup dried cranberries, Juice of 1 lemon, 1/8 cup olive oil, salt, pepper, 1/4 cup vinegar.
The Instructions: Cook uncooked Quinoa in vegetable broth with the bay leaf and the garlic clove, according to the instructions on the Quinoa package (Instructions vary by package, I simmered mine (covered) for 15 minutes until all the broth was absorbed, but check your instructions, just substitute the broth for water.) When the quinoa is finished, remove the garlic and the bay leaf and let it cool. Combine all your vegetables and cranberries with the cooled quinoa. Place lemon juice, olive oil, salt, pepper, and vinegar into closed container, shake and pour over the salad. The salad may or may not need more dressing, depending on how much it absorbs. Serve at room temperature.
YUM. I want to make this. Like right now! Delish.
It’s a crazy amount, so if you make it, you can eat it for lunch every day for an entire week
Gonna try it……..thanks
Even though I eat meat now, I tend to gravitate more toward the non-meat bbq items anyway, so this sounds fabulous to me!
I love to hear about non-vegetarians choosing veggie items over the meat. This is really delicious, and super easy to whip up!
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