This post first appeared over at Real Housemoms where I’m a contributor.

A chilled salad is the perfect side dish for a hot summer day. This Strawberry Almond Quinoa is a delicious and easy side dish to throw together for a picnic, party, or just a week night summer supper.

I love quinoa! It’s seriously so easy to make and will take on just about any flavors you add to it. My favorite thing to do is use it as a side dish (instead of pasta). Whether it’s a hot, savory side or a chilled sweet side…it is scrumptious.

Strawberries and almonds are a perfect flavor combination for me. They go great together in just about everything from oatmeal to pie to salad to this quinoa!

If you’ve never made quinoa before it’s super easy and very similar to cooking rice on the stove top. It’s a 2:1 water to quinoa ratio, but the most important thing to remember when cooking quinoa is to rinse it really well under cool water before cooking. It sounds like a step you could skip….but don’t. If you do, your quinoa could end up really bitter and that’s no fun when you take your first bite. Just take a minute and rinse it well under cool water.

Looking for more quinoa ideas? I love this Orange Scallion Quinoa and this Vegetarian Quinoa Salad. This Strawberry Almond Quinoa and the other two are great for summer and make excellent BBQ or picnic side dishes.

Honey Strawberry Almond Quinoa

Name: Honey Strawberry Almond Quinoa
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 4 h 30 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 1 cup dry quinoa; 1/2 cup sliced strawberries; 1/2 cup sliced almonds; 2 teaspoons honey

Yield: 4

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Chilling Time: 4 hours

Total Time: 4 hours 30 minutes

Ingredients

1 cup dry quinoa
1/2 cup sliced strawberries
1/2 cup sliced almonds
2 teaspoons honey

Instructions

Cook quinoa according to package instructions. Chill completely in the refrigerator for several hours.
Stir in strawberries, almonds, and honey. Serve cold as a side dish..