This salad is so fresh, so easy, so summery– perfect for the kind of sweltering days we’ve been having here in NY. Even without the quinoa, the raw squash salad makes a lovely side. Or you could bulk it up with some chickpeas and avocado.

1 cup quinoa, rinsed if necessary
½ square of vegetable bouillon, dissolved in 1½ cups water
2-3 yellow squash, sliced thin
¼ cup pine nuts
Olive oil
Salt + black pepper, to taste
Fresh lemon juice, to taste (½ lemon should cut it)
A few leaves of fresh basil

• Make your quinoa. Toast quinoa in a teeny bit of olive oil in saucepan for a couple of minutes, just until fragrant. Add liquid and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and let simmer for 15 minutes. Turn off heat and let sit 15 minutes more. Then uncover, fluff with fork, and let cool.
  
• Toss squash with a few drizzles of olive oil, salt, and pepper. Let sit for a little while to allow flavors to mingle.
• Mix squash salad with quinoa and pine nuts. Add lemon juice and freshly torn basil, and taste for salt and pepper.