Beets and Berries Quinoa Salad

Craving a beet and strawberry salad and not having greens in the house, crazy I know, I decided to whip up a salad with quinoa! So back to not having greens, it should be a crime! My husband was in his final week of marathon training before his race so he wasn’t eating a lot of greens so I didn’t buy as many. My oldest was eating more than usual so we went through what I thought would last a week in a few days. I wasn’t going to run to the store to get more as we would be leaving town unless I had to. Quinoa salads are nothing new I use to live off them in the summer a couple years ago so it was worth a try. If it didn’t work well then I would head to the store and grab some spinach. I grabbed a beet and peeled it and it was white, oh no I grabbed one of my Chioggia beets! Oh well I already peeled it so I went with it and it ended up turning into a beautiful colorful salad! So delicious I knew I had to whip it up again and post it! Playing around we tried it top it with feta or for a little more flavor and I like it drizzled with balsamic.

Quinoa, grated beets, strawberries, and feta or walnuts
Makes 4 servings
1c quinoa cooked and cooled, about 2c cooked and cooled
2 beets, peeled and grated, about 1 1/2c shredded, packed and drained (used a Chioggia beet but any beet will work)
12-16 larger strawberries, sliced
1/2c chopped pecans or walnuts
sea salt and pepper, to taste
1/2c crumbled feta, optional
1/2c balsamic vinegar, optional

Cook quinoa according to package instructions if you haven’t already and cool in the refrigerator. To assemble your salad make sure to squeeze the excess moisture from the grated beets. I grate 2 beets and then pack into a measuring cup and press with a paper towel. Measuring out what I need and then saving the rest for topping salads later. Toss beets with quinoa and season with salt and pepper. Add in strawberries, pecans/walnuts, and feta if using and gently toss to combine. Drizzle with optional balsamic. Enjoy!

Linking up with fellow bloggers for Foodie Friday, this week theme is strawberries!