Description
Cranberry quinoa salad is simple, plant-based, oil free perfection. This burst of colors, flavors and textures can be made ahead, lasts for days and love to travel.
Scale
Ingredients
Salad
- 1 cup quinoa (I like using red, but you can you white or black)
- 2 cups vegetable broth (or water)
- 4 cups shredded kale
- 1 red bell pepper diced
- 1 cucumber deseeded and diced (I never peel cucumbers, but peel if you don’t like the skins)
- 1 small red onion thinly sliced
- ½ cup slivered almonds
- ½ cup dried cranberries
Dressing
2 large tomatoes (2 cups diced)
1 clove garlic
2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard (use a milder mustard if you don’t want so much spice)
1 Tbsp. Balsamic vinegar
Instructions
- Rinse the quinoa and add it to a medium pot with 2 cups of vegetable broth (or water with a pinch of salt). Bring the pot to a boil and then turn the heat down, cover and simmer until the water is absorbed.
- Make the dressing by combining the diced tomatoes, garlic clove, mustard and Balsamic vinegar in a blender. Blend until smooth.
- Add the shredded kale and dressing to your salad bowl and massage the kale until it is coated with the dressing and starts to soften a bit. Set aside.
- Prep the red pepper, cucumber and red onion.
- When the quinoa is done, remove the lid, give it a few stirs and allow it to cool for about 5 minutes.
- Add the quinoa, pepper, cucumber, onion, cranberries and almonds to your salad bowl. Mix well. Add salt and/or pepper if desired.
Notes
- Once you mix the salad, you can add extra Balsamic or mustard to spice it up a bit. Depending on how much you add, it can dramatically change the flavor.
- I used red quinoa for this recipe, but you can always substitute regular (and cheaper) white and get the same great taste. Cook it the same way.
- Category: Salads & Bowls
- Method: Stove Top
- Cuisine: Plant-based
Keywords: cranberry quinoa salad