1 cup quinoa, rinsed
1 small red onion
salt and pepper
¾ cup minced parsley
¼ cup minced mint
5 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 cucumber, if you want
1 tomato, if you want
Add the quinoa to at least a quart of boiling water. Simmer for 10 minutes. Strain. The heat in each grain will continue to cook the quinoa and when it cools, you will have crunchy, separate grains, not at all soggy.
If you choose to add cucumber, after removing the central, seedy part, chop it. Mix in lots of salt; let sit for at least ten minutes and then wash and squeeze. This prevents the cucumber from adding too much juice to the salad, which would take away its superb flavor. If you want to add tomato, also remove the juicy, seedy part and chop finely.
Mix all ingredients with the cooled quinoa and taste. The flavor of lemon should prevail. Serve at room temperature.
This salad can be prepared in advance, adding the tomato for serving.
Make 6 servings.