Quinoa and Edamame Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette

These days in the middle of summer and fall are my favorites…second maybe only to the laziness between Christmas and New Years.

I like needing to wear jeans when I walk with Hunter in the morning. And being able to justify another pumpkin spice latte. (Let’s be real. I’m a pro at coffee splurge excuses.)

But I also like sundresses in the afternoons, and salads that taste like summer sunshine…which is definitely a flavor.

S’mores and sweatshirts in the evening are clearly the way to end these days.

I think I could live in this hybrid season forever. Especially when there’s quinoa involved. That was possibly exactly the strangest statement my brain made…ever. The truth is, I’ve been obsessed with using quinoa as a salad base this summer. It’s simple, quick health food. Don’t we all sort of need more things like that in our kitchens?

This time cooked quinoa is tossed with steamed edamame, red pepper, red onion and corn. I mostly picked these mix-ins because they had the prettiest colors. It’s a good way to make decisions. (And proof that my face has been buried in paint chips lately. New house colors are big decisions!)

This salad is tossed with a lemon vinaigrette. I like making vinaigrettes in mason jars. I dunno.

It’s perfect for eating in the late afternoon and early evenings…when the sun is still warm and you can talk someone in your house into grilling some sort of main dish situation.

Plus, much past early evening, I just want to drink hot cider and rum anyway. I’ve decided it’s alright. These are the days for it.

Quinoa and Edamame Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette

3/4 cup shelled edamame, steamed
1/4 cup corn (I used canned.)
1/4 cup red onion, diced
1/2 cup red pepper, chopped
2 cups quinoa, cooked
1 teaspoon lemon zest

2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon ground cumin
pinch of sea salt

Steam edamame. (Mine came in a bag that let me do this in the microwave.) Meanwhile, combine corn, red onion, red pepper and cooked quinoa in a large bowl. (I did all my combining in a serving bowl to cut down on dishes.) Add steamed edamame to the bowl. In a small mason jar (or other lidded jar), combine lemon juice, olive oil, honey, cumin and sea salt and shake vigorously to combine. Pour over salad and toss to distribute evenly. Zest lemon over salad. Cover and refrigerate up to 24 hours before serving. (The longer this sits, the more time it has to marinade, and the better it is!)

For more recipes from Sarah, visit Baking Serendipity.