Another great quinoa recipe! Healthy food doesn’t have to be bland and boring. This one comes from Fine Cooking magazine. It’s great as a meat-free lunch or a side dish for dinner. Though this salad is delicious as written it is quite versatile. I have used balsamic vinegar in place of the sherry vinegar and loved it, and swiss instead of gouda. If you don’t care for arugula, try using mixed greens. Enjoy!
1-1/2 cups quinoa, preferably red
Sea salt
5 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil; more as needed
1 large red onion, quartered lengthwise and thinly slice crosswise
2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
4 oz. arugula (about 3 cups)
4 oz. aged Gouda, diced (about 1 cup)
3 medium celery stalks, thinly sliced
1 large, crisp apple, such as Fuji or Pink lady, cut into 1/2-in. dice
1 C. walnuts, coarsely chopped
1 C. finely diced fennel
3/4 C. dried cranberries
3 Tbsp. sherry vinegar
Freshly ground black pepper
In a bowl, rinse the quinoa with water. Drain and transfer it to a 3-quart pot. Add 2-1/2 cups water and 1/2 tsp. sea salt and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer, covered, until the quinoa is tender but still delicately crunchy, about 15 minutes.
Drain the quinoa and return it to the pot. Cover and let the quinoa rest for 5 minutes; then fluff it with a fork. Let cool to room temperature.
While the quinoa cooks, heat 2 Tbsp. of the olive oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and a pinch of salt; cook, stirring frequently, until tender and brown around the edges, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the balsamic vinegar and toss with the onions, until the vinegar cooks away, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature.
In a large bowl, mix the quinoa, onions, arugula, cheese, celery, apple, walnuts, fennel, and cranberries.
In a small bowl, whisk the remaining 3 Tbsp. olive oil with the sherry vinegar, 1/2 tsp. sea salt, and few grinds of pepper. Add the dressing to the salad and gently mix it in. Let rest a moment; then season to taste with salt and pepper. Add more olive oil if the salad seems dry.
Serves 6 as a main course; 10 as a side dish
