A quinoa salad bursting at the seams with fresh apples, chewy cranberries, toasted walnuts and the sharp bite of feta cheese. All that is good in this world.
A creamy, toasted walnut dressing made with lemon and olive oil ties these everyday ingredients together to make something extraordinary.
The salad is a cinch to throw together for a tasty and healthy lunch that travels well and makes a great side dish that will steal the show.
So immensely satisfying and delicious with its mix of sweet, tart, salty and savory flavors combined with a multitude of textures to keep your taste buds happy. I could eat it everyday and never tire of it.
Quinoa (KEEN-wah) is considered a grain even though it’s the seeds we eat. High in protein and fiber, it’s a little pricey but worth every cent. I compare it’s texture and taste to couscous and use the two interchangeably, although quinoa is the nutritional powerhouse of the two. Quinoa has a bitter outer coating that must be rinsed well before cooking, unless it says pre-washed on the package.
A quinoa salad bursting at the seams with fresh apples, chewy cranberries, toasted walnuts and the sharp bite of feta cheese with a toasted walnut dressing.
Ingredients
Instructions
- In a small skillet over medium heat toast walnuts about 5 minutes stirring often. Remove and allow to cool. Add olive oil, 1/3 cup of the toasted walnuts and lemon juice to a food processor. Pulse until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
- In a large bowl combine quinoa, apples, cranberries, feta cheese, green onions and the remaining walnuts. Pour dressing over top and stir well. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Best eaten at room temperature.
Notes
-This is lightly dressed, if you like a lot of dressing double the recipe.
-Substitute a different cooked grain or couscous for the quinoa.
Starting on Thursday, January 26, check out other potluck dishes fellow gojee contributors shared. Go to gojee.com and enter “gojeepotluck” into I Crave. You can also follow #gojeepotluck on Twitter.
I think I’m going to be having a “Reeni week” here. Making your lasagna soup tonight and now, I want to do the salad.
I love this Reeni – so healthy and flavorful. I need some good salads like this for lunches. I enjoy quinoa quite a bit, but some of the recipes I see don’t jump out at me like this one does.
I just made it! I only changed the dressing a bit but totally loved it! Will be blogging about it tonight!
Can’t wait to see your post Simone! Thanks for making it!
This mix ‘sweet and salty’ intrigues me a lot. I love all the ingredients you used. Bye, have a great week end
Grain salads like this are my ultimate favorite lunches! I love how every bite contains a mix of so many great flavors and textures and tangy feta.