Quinoa Salad with Cranberry and Orange
A fresh twist on a classic combination, this quinoa salad with cranberry, orange, mint and kale is an easy Thanksgiving side dish for your holiday turkey or weeknight chicken.
Servings 8
Calories 201kcal
Ingredients
- 1 cup quinoa
- 2 cup water
- 2 large leaves of kale
- 2 cup fresh cranberries
- 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 2 tablespoon grated orange zest
- 6 small oranges
- ¼ cup mixed nuts
- ¼ cup pomegranate arils
- ¼ cup chopped fresh mint
Instructions
- Rinse quinoa with water and strain.
- In a small pot, add quinoa and 2 cups water to boil.
- Once water is boiling, cover pot, reduce heat to low and continue to cook until the water is gone and quinoa is cooked, about 12-15 minutes.
- Remove quinoa from heat, remove lid and use a spoon to fluff up quinoa. Transfer quinoa to a large mixing bowl and allow it to cool.
- Wash, remove stems from kale. Finely chop kale and add to the quinoa.
- Add cranberries, olive oil and honey in a food processor and pulse to coarsely chop. You do not want it to be a puréed or turn to mush.
- When quinoa is cooled completely, gently stir in the oranges and cranberry mixture.
- Stir in orange zest in with the quinoa.
- Peel and coarsely chop oranges and mix in with the quinoa.
- Stir in nuts, pomegranate and mint.
- Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Notes
TO STORE: You can make this quinoa pilaf a day or two before serving. Store any leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days.
TO FREEZE: You can also freeze leftovers, but it's texture will change and get mushy when thawed. Transfer to a resealable bag or freezer safe container and freeze for up to 4 months.
Nutrition
Serving: 1cup | Calories: 201kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Sodium: 7mg | Potassium: 366mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 514IU | Vitamin C: 59mg | Calcium: 64mg | Iron: 1mg
