Bruschetta Quinoa Salad

At 5:15 last night I looked in the fridge to see what I could fix very quickly. We had to leave for the Thanksgiving service at church by 5:45 and I still had to cook, eat, and get Faith looking a little less disheveled. So this is what I found in the fridge.

Left over quinoa, which I have often in the fridge, and some bruschetta.

I thought to myself, "I bet I could mix those two together and heat it up for a pretty tasty dinner. I bet I could throw in some spinach too for something green and maybe top it with some cheese." When I opened the fridge to get some mozzarella I saw the chicken sausage sitting there. Hmmm....that would be good in there too.

And very delicious it was! I was so sad when I got to the end of this bowl but very happy I have discovered yet another way I love to eat quinoa. Plus I whipped this meal up in under 5 minutes! Awesome and filling!

Bruschetta Quinoa Salad for One

Approximate Measurements:

1 cup cooked quinoa

1/2 cup bruschetta

hand full of spinach

one chicken sausage sliced and cooked

1/4 cup mozzarella

P.S. I bought the bruschetta at Sam's but I am sure you can find something similar at the grocery store.

Now back to menu planning and cleaning. Hopefully later today or tomorrow I can share some of my healthy plans for our Thanksgiving meal.

Post Publish Update: I have since made this salad for several occassions and so many people have loved it and asked about it. I thought I sould update the recipe for a bigger version.

Bruschetta Quinoa Salad for More

1 1/2 -2 cups dry quinoa, rinsed and cooked (will make 5-6 cups)

1 container of bruschetta (around 20-24 ounces)

1-2 cups spinach loosely packed

4-5 chicken sausages diced and cooked

1/2 cup fresh mozzarella or parmesan (plus more to top if desired)

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

optional: add in an additional diced tomato or two and some Italian seasoning.

Note: I usually cook the quinoa in chicken broth for this salad instead of water. Two cups dry quinoa can be a little much depending on how many people you need to serve. Sometimes I reserve out a cup or so of the cooked quinoa for other things.