The secret to a hearty summer dinner salad? You’ve got to stick with ingredients that come together in little time.
Although we want our dinner salads to be robust and filling, we don’t want them to take a whole lot of time to prep. One of the greatest joys of summer is getting dinner on the table fast, then getting it out onto the porch to enjoy while watching the sun set.
So this summer dinner salad relies on two hearty ingredients that pack big, bold and filling flavor, without requiring a whole lot of time or labor. Quick-cooking quinoa provides a protein-packed base that cooks in just 15 minutes. I like to toss the quinoa with the other salad ingredients while still warm, but if you prefer feel free to pop it in the freezer for a couple minutes for a quick cool.
While your quinoa cooks, spicy shrimp go on and off the grill in a flash. Everything then gets tossed together with some avocado, feta cheese and scallions. In less than 30 minutes, you get a great dinner salad with little effort – and plenty of time to get outside to enjoy the sunset.
Quinoa Shrimp Salad with Avocado