Quinoa caprese

I love Caprese salad, which is just a fancy way of saying I love eating lots of cheese. Honestly though, the three ingredients that are required in a caprese salad are all at the top (or close to the top) in their respective food fields for me--basil is my favorite herb, tomatoes are my favorite fruit that masquerades as a vegetable (sorry, avocados and eggplants!), and mozzarella is one of my top three favorite cheeses.

If you make something a la caprese ('in the style of Capri'), chances are, I'll eat it. Enter Quinoa caprese. I'll eat this alllll day. All day, son!

I had quinoa in the pantry I'd been meaning to use for the last six months and some delicious homegrown tomatoes just calling my name, begging to be eaten in a salad. With mozzarella. And basil.

Aren't they just beautiful?

While the quinoa cooked on the stovetop, I tore up the basil (also straight from the garden--ain't I fancy?) and chopped up the tomatoes and mozzarella. After that, I also had time to whisk the dressing ingredients together in a small bowl while the quinoa finished up.

These three ingredients are like the Italian food trinity. You can never go wrong with mozzarella, tomatoes, and basil.

When the quinoa was done, I poured the dressing on it and stirred it around to mix it up. Then, I dumped the dressed quinoa into the large bowl where I'd placed the cheese, basil, and tomatoes. It was delightful. It tasted like summer and Italy and every bite was flavorful. The quinoa is a wonderful way to add body to the salad, making it a perfect lunch. It's so quick to make and you don't have to heat up your house during these last dog days of summer to enjoy it. Eat up, y'all!

Quinoa caprese
(serves 4-6 people as a side dish)
adapted from Averie Cooks

1 cup uncooked quinoa (which you will then cook according to package instructions)

1 to 1 1/2 cups tomatoes, chopped
4-6 oz mozzarella, diced
10-15 basil leaves, torn up

For the dressing:
3 tbsp balsamic or red wine vinegar (balsamic is sweeter, so use red wine vinegar if you want a zing-ier salad)
2-3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/4 to 1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper

Cook the quinoa according to the package instructions. Generally, this means 1 cup cup of quinoa mixed in a pan with 2 cups of water, boiled and then simmered until the water is absorbed and the quinoa is cooked.

While the quinoa cooks, whisk the dressing ingredients together in a large bowl and chop up the tomatoes and mozzarella and tear up the basil. When the quinoa is done, dump it in the bowl with the dressing, stirring so that the quinoa soaks it up. Add the tomatoes, basil, and mozzarella and stir the salad around. Serve at room temperature.