Cranberry Nut Quinoa Salad

I have a bunch of quinoa I need to eat. I would, for some reason, buy quinoa each trip to the grocery store, forgetting I already had some. This happened for about 3 consecutive trips. I don’t have any excuse for this, other than quinoa sounded good when I saw it on the grocery store shelf, then I’d go home and discover I already had some in the pantry—oops. Desperate to use some of it, I tried to make looking for interesting quinoa recipes. I came across this recipe someone gave me last year during my gluten free/vegan elimination diet phase.

For a recipe with few ingredients this was so good. I served it in roasted acorn squash “bowls.” The quinoa was just as delicious for lunch the next day minus the squash. I love just about anything that includes balsamic vinegar.

This would be a nice, different side dish for Thanksgiving. Speaking of Thanksgiving, I can't believe it's this week! I thought I had another week to prepare and plan. This is going to be a busy week in the kitchen. Is anyone else freaking out about Thanksgiving dinner?



Cranberry Nut Quinoa Salad
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serves 2-3

½ c quinoa
1 c veggie broth (or water)
¼ c dried cranberries
¼ c chopped walnuts (or almonds)

for the vinaigrette:
2 Tbl balsamic vinegar (or red wine vinegar)
1 Tbl olive oil
~1 tsp agave (or sugar or honey)
2 cloves garlic, minced
~1 tsp Italian seasonings
½ lemon, squeezed (~1-2 tsp)

Add quinoa and broth into a small sauce pan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer, covered, until all the liquid is absorbed (about 15 minutes).

While quinoa cooks, combine vinaigrette ingredients together in a small bowl (I used a 1 c measuring cup) and whisk to combine. Add salt and pepper to taste, and adjust any seasonings if necessary.

Once quinoa is cooked, stir in cranberries and nuts. Pour dressing over everything, stir. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes. Serve cold or at room temperature.