Quinoa Salad (aka Tabouli reimagined)

I love a good salad! And I don't really care what season; Summer or any other time, an excellent salad hits the spot. This is my reimagined Tabouli. I've had Tabouli made with Bulgar Wheat, the traditional way, and I must say I much prefer Quinoa. And Quinoa is gluten free if you need it to be. I prefer the flavor and texture, though GF is good for me, as well. So basically, the photos below are the whole shebang. The assemblage is straightforward, and after everything is combined, stick it in the chill chest for enough time to marry all the veg friends. This folks, is a hit salad for pot-luck, picnic, or any old Tuesday night you need a little pick-me-up and tasty fiber. Here you go...

Disclaimer: The mint in my herb patch was not quite ready for picking, but had it been, I would have added about half as much as the parsley. It brings a bright, fresh taste sensation.

Grape tomatoes halved or quartered, your preference.
One small container.

One English cucumber parsed into bite-sized bits.

Four green onions, both green and white.

Minced garlic, two cloves.

Fresh parsley, about a very loosely-packed one cup.

Mixy, mixy!

Two lemons, freshly squeezed, and a bit of zest if you like.

An excellent grassy green extra virgin olive oil.
One-fourth to one-third cup.

Mix the lemon juice and EVOO together, and pour over the mixed veg. Gently toss to combine, and chill until service. 

Using the directions on the Quinoa package, cook 1-cup Quinoa, and fluff it with a fork after it has completely retained all the liquid used to cook. Allow it to cool before adding to the veg. Again, gently combine the Quinoa with the veg mixture. Done!

I must confess I didn't snap a photo of the finished product. Just allow me this; it was so delicious. I took it to a dinner party that evening, and all that was left was a polite dab no one was willing to take. I had that for lunch the next day. Yum!