Lemon-Fennel Quinoa Salad

We made home-made pizzas, and needed something to serve with them.  This salad is inspired by one served in my French class a few weeks ago.  Although we adapted that dish a fair bit, it turned out great, and was suprisingly quick and easy to prepare.  

If you're wondering, the anise/licorice flavor of the fennel doesn't stand out too much.  Instead, it provides a subtle, perky, herbal flavor perfect for spring.  Using quinoa as a "pasta salad alternative" provides variety, different nutrients, and it is a great source of complete proteins and amino acids.  

INGREDIENTS

• 1.5 C quinoa (pronounced "keen-wah")
• 3 C water
• ½ C + extra olive oil
• 1 C cabbage (chopped)*
• ½ C red onion (chopped)*
• ½ C celery (chopped)*
• 1 lemon (zested, then juiced)
• ½ tsp. cardamom
• 1 T fennel (fresh if you have it; dried; seeds – grind seeds with mortar & pestle before using)
• Salt & pepper

PREPARATION

• Bring to a boil: 1.5 C Quinoa and 3 C Water; turn heat to low, cover with lid, and cook for 15 minutes.  Let cool for 5 minutes.
  Meanwhile, chop into ½- ¼ inch pieces: 1 C Cabbage, ½ C Red Onion, and ½ C Celery (volume when chopped).  Mix vegetables and quinoa in a large bowl**, drizzle with olive oil and toss to coat, then set aside.
• Zest one lemon, and set zest aside.
• Combine in a jar with a good lid: ½ C olive oil, juice from the zested lemon, ½ tsp. cardamom, and 1 T fennel.  Shake well, and salt & pepper to taste.  Pour over quinoa salad, and toss to coat.
• Sprinkle lemon zest over salad, lightly cover with salt and pepper, and set in refrigerator until ready to serve. 

NOTES

• *Use red varieties of these vegetables, if available, for added color.  Substituting scallions (green onions, adds to the color impact).
• **Residual heat from cooked quinoa will soften but not cook vegetables, resulting in a pleasant but not overly crunchy texture.

Update: Made this again recently, with the following changes:

• Use celery and carrots only, and mix in golden raisins.  
• Make the dressing using oil, apple cider vinegar, cinnamon, a dash of cayenne, and some honey or sugar.  
• It's delicious this way, too!