Skinny Mediterranean Quinoa Salad

If you are looking for a super healthy dish that has robust flavor and leaves your guests feeling full without guilt, this is a great accompaniment to any meal or can stand on its own as a vegetarian dish. It is vegetarian, gluten- and dairy-free.

• Preparation Time: 30 mins
• Cooking Time: 1 hr 20 mins
• Total Time: 1 hr 50 mins
• Calories: 204 Calories

Ingredients

• 1 lemon, juiced
• 3 cups water
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
• ½ cup finely chopped fresh basil
• 1 ½ cups quinoa
• 1 eggplant, cut in half
• 3 large heirloom tomatoes, sliced

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Grease a pie pan; place eggplant in pie pan. Sprinkle onion on top and around eggplant.

Step 2

Bake in the preheated oven until eggplant is soft and browned, about 1 hour.

Step 3

Bring water to a boil in a 2-quart pot. Stir in quinoa; reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, until water is absorbed, about 15 minutes.

Step 4

Combine heirloom tomatoes, basil, lemon juice, and sea salt in a large bowl. Stir in the warm quinoa, a little at a time, until salad is combined.

Step 5

Scoop out warm eggplant, in chunks, from the skin with a spoon; discard skin. Stir eggplant chunks and onion into salad. Cover with plastic wrap.

Step 6

Place salad into the refrigerator; chill until flavors combine, about 4 hours.