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rainbow quinoa and pear salad

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Rainbow quinoa and pear salad with walnuts, chives, and balsamic vinegar is a quick and flavorful protein-packed, plant-based, oil-free side dish or grab and grub lunch.

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 1 cup dry rainbow quinoa
  • 2 cups of vegetable broth (or water)
  • 2 fresh pears diced
  • 1/4 cup chopped walnuts
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh chives
  • 2 Tbsp. Balsamic vinegar

Instructions

  1. Rinse the quinoa and place it in a saucepan with the vegetable broth. Bring the pot to a boil, turn the heat to simmer, cover the pot and cook for 15 minutes or until the liquid is absorbed and the quinoa is tender.
  2. Allow the quinoa to sit in the hot pan for an additional 5 minutes (or longer) so that it settles and gets fluffier.
  3. Transfer the quinoa to a medium salad bowl and toss it a bit to fluff it. Then mix in the rest of the ingredients.
  4. Serve hot or place the salad in the refrigerator and serve cold.

Notes

  • Rainbow quinoa is a mix of white, red, and black quinoa. You can purchase this or make your own by mixing equal parts of white, red, or black quinoa. This salad is equally delicious with 1 or 2 colors or in any portions combinations you choose.
  • Be sure to rinse the quinoa before you cook it. This helps to get rid of potential bitterness and any dust particles contained in the package.
  • If you want to cool the quinoa before adding the rest of the salad ingredients, transfer it to a salad bowl, and toss it a few times to release the heat. Allow it to cool a bit on the counter before transferring it to the refrigerator.
  • The vinegar helps to keep the pears from discoloring, so this salad will keep for 1 – 2 days, tightly sealed, in the refrigerator. After a day, you may find that the walnuts get a bit soft, so you may want to add a few more or keep them in reserve to toss in as you serve this up.
  • If Balsamic vinegar is too strong for you, substitute pear or raspberry vinegar. If you want your salad super sweet, try white Balsamic. 

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