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.
- Prep time
- 15 min
- Cook time
- 15 min
- Yield
- 8 servings
- Difficulty
- MEDIUM
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 1 cup quinoa
- 2 cup water
- 2 large leaves of kale
- 2 cup fresh cranberries
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp honey
- 2 tbsp grated orange zest
- 6 small oranges
- 1/4 cup mixed nuts
- 1/4 cup pomegranate arils
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh mint
Instructions
- 1
Rinse quinoa with water and strain.
- 2
In a small pot, add quinoa and 2 cups water to boil.
- 3
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.
- 4
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.
- 5
Wash, remove stems from kale. Finely chop kale and add to the quinoa.
- 6
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.
- 7
When quinoa is cooled completely, gently stir in the oranges and cranberry mixture.
- 8
Stir in orange zest in with the quinoa.
- 9
Peel and coarsely chop oranges and mix in with the quinoa.
- 10
Stir in nuts, pomegranate and mint.
- 11
Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.