MEDITERRANEAN CUCUMBER AND YOGURT SALAD WITH RED OR BLACK QUINOA

Mediterranean Cucumber and Yogurt Salad With Red or Black Quinoa image

The idea of embellishing a yogurt soup or salad with quinoa comes from Deborah Madison, who uses black quinoa in a brilliant recipe for a soup in her book "Vegetable Literacy." I used red quinoa to add texture, color and substance to this typical Mediterranean combination - finely diced cucumber, garlic, and thick plain yogurt. Use mint or dill, or a combination, and make sure to dice the cucumber very small.

Provided by Martha Rose Shulman

Categories dinner, lunch, salads and dressings, appetizer, main course, side dish

Time 30m

Yield Serves 4

Number Of Ingredients 7

Ingredients

2 to 2 1/2 cups finely diced cucumber (use a seedless variety such as a long hothouse cucumber, a Japanese cucumber or Persian cucumbers)
Salt
1 1/2 to 2 cups plain Greek yogurt or drained yogurt (to taste)
1 to 2 garlic cloves (to taste), cut in half, green shoots removed, and mashed to a paste in a mortar and pestle with a pinch of salt
1 to 2 tablespoons (to taste) chopped fresh dill or mint
Freshly ground pepper
1 cup cooked red or black quinoa

Steps:

Toss cucumber with a generous amount of salt and leave in a colander in the sink to sweat for 15 minutes. Drain on paper towels (rinse first if the cucumber tastes very salty).
Spoon yogurt into a salad bowl and mix with garlic. Stir in cucumber. Add freshly ground pepper (I like a generous amount), taste and adjust salt. Sprinkle dill or mint on top.
Spoon quinoa over salad and serve, or divide salad among 4 bowls or plates and top each serving with 1/4 cup quinoa.

Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 279, UnsaturatedFat 2 grams, Carbohydrate 34 grams, Fat 9 grams, Fiber 3 grams, Protein 16 grams, SaturatedFat 4 grams, Sodium 535 milligrams, Sugar 5 grams