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–+ servings
caprese salad and pesto quinoa tossed together in a bowl
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5 from 1 vote

Caprese Pesto Quinoa

Fresh capreae salad with pesto quinoa.
Prep Time10 minutes
Total Time10 minutes
Course: Appetizer, Side Dish
Cuisine: Italian
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 223kcal
Author: Kadee & Desarae

Ingredients

  • 1 pint of cherry sized tomatoes sliced in half
  • 8 ounces Fresh Mozzarella if in log form, slice into bite size pieces
  • 10-15 basil leaves
  • ¼ cup pesto
  • 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 cup cooked quinoa
  • ½ sea salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  • Start by cooking your quinoa in broth and setting aside to cool.
  • Halve cherry tomatoes. Mince basil
  • Drain mozzarella
  • In a bowl mix all ingredients together
  • Allow salad to sit and flavors to marry. Stir occasionally.
  • Refrigerate if not serving within 1 hour

Notes

HOW TO MAKE THE BEST QUINOA 

While quinoa can be made over the stovetop if you have an instant pot or pressure cooker then 100% switch to that. it's faster and fluffier I swear. I have a post here for all the tips and tricks, but below is the basics. 
  1. rinse your quinoa
  2. in instant pot use a little oil to help quinoa not stick
  3. Add quinoa
  4. Use BROTH! my go-to is vegetable broth. It is much more flavorful. 
  5. cook on high for 1 minutes and natural release for 4-10 minutes.
  6. quick release. 

Nutrition

Calories: 223kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 31mg | Sodium: 343mg | Potassium: 256mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 745IU | Vitamin C: 18mg | Calcium: 216mg | Iron: 1mg