Homemade Cranberry Quinoa Feta Salad
Ingredients
- Salad:
- 1 cup quinoa uncooked
- 2 cups water or vegetable broth
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup dried cranberries
- ½ cup crumbled feta cheese
- ½ cup sliced almonds toasted
- ¼ cup fresh parsley chopped
- ¼ cup fresh mint chopped (optional)
- 3 green onions thinly sliced
- ½ cup cucumber diced (optional)
- Lemon Vinaigrette:
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 clove garlic minced
- ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Rinse quinoa under cold water in fine mesh strainer.
- Combine quinoa, water or broth, and salt in saucepan. Bring to boil.
- Reduce to low. Cover with lid.
- Simmer 12 to 15 minutes until liquid is absorbed.
- Remove from heat. Let sit covered 5 minutes.
- Fluff with fork. Transfer to large bowl. Cool to room temperature.
- While quinoa cools, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, honey, garlic, Dijon, salt, and pepper.
- Add cranberries, feta, almonds, parsley, mint, green onions, and cucumber to cooled quinoa.
- Pour vinaigrette over salad.
- Toss until well combined.
- Taste. Adjust seasoning if needed.
- Serve immediately or refrigerate. Tastes great cold.
Notes
- Rinse quinoa before cooking to remove bitter coating
- Use broth instead of water for more flavor
- Toast almonds for better taste
- Let quinoa cool completely before mixing
- Make ahead for better flavor — tastes better next day
- Store dressing separately for longer storage
- Adjust seasoning before serving
- Can use 3 cups pre-cooked quinoa
- Skip feta for vegan version
- Keeps up to 4 days in fridge