Pesto Quinoa Salad

Cold salads are one of my favorite things to make in the summer.  There’s something so nice about being able to scoop out a big bowl for dinner and not having to even think about turning on the oven.  I’ve been making this Pesto Quinoa Salad for years – it’s filling from all the veggies and bright and flavorful from the pesto!  This is a great one to prep ahead for weekday lunches and it makes an excellent side dish for cookouts.

I usually take  it for lunch as is and I love to serve it with grilled chicken for dinner.  A heaping cup comes in at 6 WW SmartPoints on both the Blue and Green WW plans.

Simply cook some quinoa (you can even buy the frozen pre-cooked quinoa to save time!), stir in your pesto, chopped veggies, and top with feta cheese.  The flavors get even better after a night in the fridge – enjoy!

Pesto Quinoa Salad

 

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Author: Rachel's Healthy Plate

Serves: 6 servings

Ingredients

• 1 c. uncooked quinoa
• 2 c. low sodium chicken broth (optional) OR 2 c. water
• 1 red pepper, diced
• 1 cucumber, diced
• 1 c. grape tomatoes, halved
• ¼ c. green onion, diced
• 4 tbsp store bought pesto
• 3½ oz crumbed feta cheese
• salt and pepper, to taste
• fresh basil, to garnish, if desired

Instructions

1. Rinse quinoa well and transfer to a medium pot. Add 2 cups of chicken broth or water and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer until the water is absorbed, about 15 minutes.
2. Remove from heat and set aside for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and transfer to a large mixing bowl. Allow quinoa to cool completely before adding veggies.
3. Add 4 tbsp of pesto to the quinoa and mix well. Taste quinoa and season with salt and pepper, to taste.
4. Stir in the chopped veggies and feta cheese. Top with fresh basil, if desired.
5. Refrigerate at least 2-3 hours, until salad is chilled, before serving.

Notes

Recipes makes 6 servings, ~ 1 heaping cup / serving. One serving is 6 WW SmartPoints on both the Blue and Green WW plans

Nutritional information is calculated with MyFitnessPal and may vary based on brands used. Smart Points information is calculated with the Weight Watchers app and may also vary based on brands used.

Nutrition Information

Serving size: 1 heaping cup | Calories: 199 Fat: 9 Saturated fat: 3 Carbohydrates: 22 Sugar: 1 Fiber: 4 Protein: 8

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I am so excited you are making one of my recipes and I would love to see how it turns out! Make sure to share it on Instagram and tag me @rachelshealtyplate and use #rachelshealthyplate so I can see your creation!