My husband and I love caprese everything – caprese salad, caprese paninis, caprese sandwiches, even caprese pasta.

I wouldn’t necessarily say that mozzarella, tomatoes and basil ever gets OLD, per se, but I am always on the lookout for new ways to mix up the flavor combination.

Enter quinoa. Quinoa and couscous are grains I always seem to forget about, in favor of the common staples pasta and rice. I don’t know why. Cooking quinoa is fast, easy and nutritious, not to mention delicious.

I tried out the caprese flavor profile with quinoa and was really impressed. Try it for yourself:

You’ll need:

• 2 cups cooked quinoa (1 cup uncooked quinoa and 2 cups water)
• 1 cup grape or cherry tomatoes
• 1 cup mini mozzarella balls
• 10-15 basil leaves
• 4 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions:

1. Cook quinoa according to package instructions and place in large mixing bowl.
2. Add all remaining ingredients to bowl. Toss well to combine.
3. Salad can be served immediately or refrigerated for up to 3 days.

Source: Averie Cooks