Everyone’s favorite caprese salad with tomatoes, basil and creamy burrata cheese gets a protein boost thanks to the addition of healthy quinoa.
There are few ingredients that have made as big a splash on the current food trend scene, with as quick of a rise in popularity—and I’m not talking bacon here—than the superfood we call quinoa. It’s pronounced, keen-wa, but I’ve heard tongue-tied foodies say kwiin-wa and even kwin-O-uh.
However it’s name passes your pearly lips, quinoa has definitely made an impression on food bloggers and their recipes. Heck, it’s made an impression on the world, with 2013 being named the “International Year of Quinoa” by The United Nations General Assembly thanks to its potential to assist in eradicating world hunger.
Quinoa is an ancient grain, revered as a staple in the diet of the pre-Columbian Andean and Incan people who harvested it over 7,000 years ago. But until the past few years, quinoa was anything but a favored alternative to potatoes, rice and pasta. It wasn’t the chosen one cuddling up to the grilled chicken on your plate. But I’m here to tell you my theory on what helped change that.
I first became aware of these pearly little nuggets at least 15 years ago when I was the art director of a national health food magazine. We wrote plenty of articles extolling the virtues of this nutrient-dense, gluten-free grain, preaching it’s health benefits as a superfood because it is a complete protein thanks to its nearly perfect ratio of ratio of carbohydrates to proteins to fats. A grain with high protein content. Now we’re talking superfood.
It’s not like I didn’t learn about it’s magic properties, but did I try it? No, I didn’t. Why not? The name simply sounded a little weird, a little too medieval (what IS an ancient grain?) and I was just fine with keeping my evolving culinary horizons within reach of convincing my husband to try brown rice and Mediterranean couscous. Oh yes, I was happening my friends.
So why has quinoa seen such an upsurge in popularity in recent years? Chefs and retailers are always looking for something new to showcase, to develop, to sell so we may be seeing it more, but that doesn’t mean people know what to do with it. I think the secret to quinoa’s success may owe a big thank you to the emerging popularity of food blogs and the authors behind them who make nutritious recipes that are approachable and delivered by a friendly, whole foods face.
Leave a note in the comments section to tell me about it so we can keep our eyes peeled on the trendsetters for the next, great quinoa.
- 2 medium tomatoes, sliced (I like Campari tomatoes unless I have fresh from my garden)
- 1 packaged ball of Burrata cheese
- ½ cup quinoa, cooked
- 5-6 basil leaves, thinly sliced
- 1½ tablespoons good and fruity extra virgin olive oil
- 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Layer tomato slices in a salad bowl or plate. Remove the Burrata cheese from it's package and drain the water. Gently tear the cheese ball in half, reserving one half for another salad or other use (you should use the drained cheese within a day after draining.) Add the quinoa and basil leaves and drizzle with the olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Season with the kosher salt and freshly ground pepper and serve.
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This salad is so stinkin’ beautiful and exactly what my body needs right now. Me likey. A lot.
your link to 8 favorite food blogs = http://mylifescoop.com/2013/05/16/8-favorite-whole-food-blogs/
gives me a error msg = File Not Found
can you repost them please?
Hi! I’m checking on the link on their end, thanks for the heads up!
Link is fixed, thanks again!
Your 8 blog suggestions are good, any vegetarian or vegan blogs is great by me!
Thx!!
Beautiful salad, Heidi! I got an error when I tried to click on your list as well. Looking forward to being able to check these out and make some new additions to my RSS feed! 🙂
Thanks for letting me know, looking into the link now! Sorry for the inconvenience 🙂
The link is working now, thank you for letting me know. Enjoy!
Such a beautiful salad! Caprese is one of my favorite summer flavors!
This sounds sooooo good!! Love, love, love! And like the other commenters, I can’t get the link either 🙁
Hi Katrina, the link is working and ready for you to check out. THX!
Beautiful salad! I can’t wait to read your top food blogs 🙂 I can’t wait to find some new reads!
This looks beautiful – and delicious! I have quinoa in the house and I’m going out to buy the rest of the ingredients. Thanks for another great post! Another one for Pinterest !!
I’m so in love with this!
This is one seriously beau-ti-ful salad!!!
I’m completely obsessed with quinoa. Loving this recipe. And your list of blogs is fantastic.
WOW this looks amazing. I love a caprese burrata salad and I love quinoa, so it’s a pretty perfect combo. A match made in heaven.
Looking forward to making this.
Seeing a lot of burrata recipes popping up! Love it! Salad looks heavenly!
Stunning! Did you know we grow quinoa in Canada? Another item to add to the list of eating local. =)
Yayyy!
Ohhhh Heidi, this looks SO AMAZING. And love all the blogs on the list!
What a perfect summer salad!
Hi Heidi,
In addition to flood bloggers making Quinoa accessible with yummy looking recipes such as the one above, I think there are two more reason for it’s popularity – increased gluten intolerance or people avoiding gluten and the ease of use – compared to other healthy and whole foods you don’t have to soak overnight or prepare it in a complicated fashion – it’s quick, fast and healthy and you can use it savoury or sweet.
please ignore my typo/bad grammar 😉
I like this family whole food blog called http://insockmonkeyslippers.com She gives tips on alternatives for dyes sugars and such and has great recipes that I always use. Btw, agave syrup is not a whole food. It’s boiled down and is exactly like corn syrup. Love your site!
I still need to try out buratta. These salad looks delicious.
Gawgeous salad and a PERFECT list of whole food bloggers!
Wow, what a salad. I am all over this one.
I love me some quinoa, but burrata is a new-to-me ingredient that I’ve had fun experimenting with lately (I mean, it’s cheese, so I like it). I have one ball of burrata left and it has this recipe’s name all over it! So excited for juicy red tomatoes to be making an appearance, too. And thank you, Heidi, for including me in your list of whole food blogs along with such great company. Your summary made me smile. xo.
Lovely!
Great post and beautiful recipe. One of the very best food blogs is http://www.momskitchenhandbook.com/.
Super practical, great wisdom, yummy recipes and a joy to read 🙂
What a pretty and fresh-looking salad! So nice when there’s just a handful of ingredients…
minimalist baker is my FAVORITE whole foods blog! I’ve made tons of her recipes and love every single one of them!
Such an awesome grain to work with, and topping it with a squidgy (sp?) dollop of burrata is fantastic!
This salad looks like heaven, especially when you add creamy buratta!
Such a fantastic list. I love lists like this, as there is always at least one that is new to me! And quinoa? Be still my heart. I’m so glad that it is taking such firm roots here!
Burrata is the best, especially with fresh ripe tomatoes!
Only you could make a quinoa salad this gorgeous!
I love quinoa! I will definitely make this!
This looks insanely good…again I’m in awe of your photo skills. You picked excellent whole foods blogs too- love each and every one of those.
Here you go with that burrata again! This looks fantastic. I fell in love with quinoa a few years ago and have actually replaced it for rice in my house. We now eat it a few times a week. I love the nuttiness it adds to any meal.
I usually do not leave a response, but after looking at a ton of responses
on Quinoa and Burrata Caprese Salad and 8 Favorite Whole Food
Blogs | foodiecrush. I do have some questions for you if you do not mind.
Is it only me or does it look as if like some of these comments look like they are written by brain dead people?
😛 And, if you are posting at other places,
I would like to follow everything new you have to post.
Would you list of the complete urls of your shared pages
like your twitter feed, Facebook page or linkedin profile?
I know this is not timely or anything, as this post is from nearly 2 years ago, but the link for the favorite whole food blogs now goes to a website selling e-cigarettes. Which is essentially the exact opposite. Don’t know how that happened but just wanted to give you a heads up! 🙂
This looks that good, quite a response from long time.
It looks so delicious. I got your recipe and I will try to make this dish. I love it.