Best Salad recipes for BBQ

Quinoa (pronounced KEEN-wah)—a tiny little seed with an ancient history—packs a big nutritional punch: It’s high in protein and nutrients with anti-inflammatory properties, which is likely why it sustained people in South America’s Andes mountains (where quinoa grows best) for so long. Quinoa has a mild, slightly vegetal flavor and cooks up fluffy, like couscous, but is still slightly crunchy.

• Quinoa can have a bitter residue on it, so make sure to rinse it well in a fine mesh strainer.
• Like pasta, you can boil quinoa in a lot of water, then drain it. (You know it’s done when the little tails are visible.) Or, combine 1 cup quinoa with 2 cups water and bring to a boil, then simmer, covered, over low heat until tender, about 15 to 20 minutes.
• For extra-fluffy quinoa, return it to the saucepan after cooking. Cover the pot with a paper towel and then close the pot with the lid. The paper towel will absorb any excess water.
• Quinoa’s light texture makes it great for mixing with other heavier grains.
• Red, black and white quinoa have subtle flavor differences (red and black are slightly earthier than white) but they can be substituted for one another in recipes. —Kristin Donnelly

Photo © Tina Rupp.

Eating quinoa is a great way for vegetarians to get protein. Chef Jeremy Fox tosses it with crunchy shaved vegetables for a refreshing salad loaded with vitamins and minerals.

Photo © Quentin Bacon.

Photo © Anna Williams.

“While in Los Angeles filming the second season of Top Chef Just Desserts last year, I discovered Café Gratitude, a vegan café with a cult following, ” Gail Simmons says. “For me, its fresh, simple food was the perfect antidote to all that sugar.” When she returned to New York, she developed her own version of the café’s signature bowls of grains and vegetables.

Photo © Con Poulos.

This salad from F&W’s Grace Parisi brilliantly combines some of the most exciting current food trends into one amazing recipe—pickled vegetables, uncommon produce, ancient grains and a cross-cultural dressing that includes miso and chipotle chile in adobo.

“One thing I’ve learned as a chef is not to overfeed your customers—a food coma is very unpleasant, ” says Charlie Parker of Plum restaurant in Oakland, California. This salad of grilled vegetables feels just filling enough, thanks to the protein-rich quinoa.

Photo © Ellie Miller.

Photo © David Malosh.

Tangy dried apricots, crunchy pistachios and fragrant scallions add depth to Yotam Ottolenghi’s sensational red rice and quinoa salad. Topped with arugula and a zesty orange dressing, it makes a terrific accompaniment to roast fish or chicken.

Photo © Christina Holmes.

Photo © Lucy Schaeffer .

“I grew up with a bunch of hippies, so I ate a lot of quinoa, ” Kerry Simon says. “I thought the taste was so cool.” For this tabbouleh-like salad with tomatoes and roasted bell peppers, Simon simmers quinoa in water and orange juice to give it a citrus hit.

Photo © Eric Wolfinger.

Photo © John Kernick.

To create a delicious and filling vegetarian main course, Michael Symon of Cleveland's Lola tosses quinoa with arugula, apple, raisins and fresh herbs, then spoons the salad into a halved baked squash.

Photo © Keller & Keller.

Ken Oringer mixes quinoa with black beans, onions and peppers to make a hearty and satisfying side dish that's a fun variation on prosaic five-bean salad.

Photo © Stephanie Foley.

Photo © Amy Neunsinger.

Photo © Frances Janisch.

This fast and healthy quinoa salad is both sweet and savory, showcasing winter fruits like pear and kumquat alongside cucumber, watercress and cilantro.

Bell peppers, Jalapeño and cucumber give this quinoa salad a flavor profile similar to pico de gallo salsa.