Summer Side Salad

This summer  it's all about different cold salads.  They are easy, and are portable for lunches.  This one uses quinoa, wheat berries, and couscous as the base.  Added to that are some fresh garden vegetables, dressed with a  simple vinaigrette.   This can be used as a side or even as a meal when served over some fresh spinach with some grilled chicken.

If you have not had wheat berries they add a nice nutty taste. Quinoa are small grains that are a filling whole grain.  Couscous are little pearls of pasta. 

I admit I am not a fan of fresh tomatoes I am often picking them out of things
but my husband loves them so for this I only placed one little chopped tomato
in. Please feel free to add more!


Salad:
1/2 cup cooked quinoa (*I cooked the quinoa and wheat berries together as they took the same amount of time and water)
1/2 cup cooked wheat berries
1/2 cup couscous
1/2 red bell pepper diced
1 small carrot peeled and diced
1-2 green onion diced
1/2 zucchini diced
1/4 cup diced tomato
1/2 tablespoon olive oil

Vinaigrette:
2 tablespoons  red wine vinegar
4 tabelspoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon herb de provence
salt and pepper to taste

Cook grains according to package.  While they cook dice vegetables.  Once grain are cooked place in a bowl and drizzle with olive oil to keep from sticking and allow to cool.  Add chopped vegetables.  Drizzle with vinaigrette when serving.






Works well paired up with some fresh baby spinach