Veggie Quinoa Salad with Pesto Dressing

I saw this salad posted on Food in Jars earlier this week and decided to switch up my original meal plans to make it since I already had everything on hand and it just sounded delicious. We had it for dinner last night and it was so, so, so good! A perfect warm weather, meatless dinner! We all loved it! I will definitely be making this a regular meal on our table! It'd be a great salad to take to a potluck, too, since it can be served slightly warm/room temp or chilled.

Vegetable-Stuffed Quinoa Salad with Pesto Dressing

2 cups quinoa (cooked in 4 cups water)
1 bundle asparagus, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 red pepper, chopped (I used a green one since that's what I had)
1/2 red onion, roughly chopped (I added some chopped chives from my garden instead)
1/2 english cucumber, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 bunch flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1 can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
6 ounces feta, crumbled
4 ounces of pesto
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
olive oil (some for roasting asparagus and some for the dressing)
salt
pepper
Toasted almonds (optional)

Cook the two cups of quinoa by combining it with four cups of water. Bring to a boil and reduce temperature. Simmer for 15-20 minutes, until it is tender. When it is finished cooking, spread it out on a cookie sheet to cool.

Spread the asparagus out on a small cookie sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast at 425 degrees for 10-15 minutes.

Combine chopped red pepper, onion, cucumber, parsley and drained garbanzo beans in a large bowl.

Whisk the pesto, vinegar and a drizzle of olive oil together until runny. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Add quinoa to the chopped vegetables. Gently stir to combine. Add the crumbled feta and dressing and fold in. Top with toasted almonds and serve. Can be made up to 24 hours in advance.