Quinoa Caprese Salad

I have been playing with quinoa lately as it is a new ingredient for me, and it is full of lots of nutritious goodies.

A dish that screams summer to me is a caprese salad. Sliced fresh tomatoes, mozzarella, basil, all drizzled with olive oil. I thought of ways to turn it into a more substantial dish, something that could be eaten as a side or as a meal. So I gave it a try.

Here is my first salad, and it turned out awesome!

Quinoa Caprese Salad
1 cup dried quinoa
2 cups water
1 pint grape tomatoes
80z mozzarella balls
large bunch basil
3-5 cloves garlic
1 shallot
1/4 cup olive oil
salt and pepper

Bring the water to a boil and cook the quinoa for 12 minutes. Turn off heat, fluff with fork and set aside.
In a large bowl, quarter the tomatoes and the mozzarella, mince the garlic and the shallot, chiffonade the basil, and mix with the olive oil and some salt and pepper. Once the quinoa has cooled a bit, mix together and refrigerate until it is time to serve.