Festive Quinoa Salad (Printable Version)
Colorful quinoa with roasted veggies, herbs, and zesty citrus dressing for a fresh, wholesome side.
# What You'll Need:
→ Grains
01 - 1 cup quinoa, rinsed
02 - 2 cups water or vegetable broth
→ Vegetables
03 - 1 red bell pepper, diced
04 - 1 yellow bell pepper, diced
05 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
06 - 1 small red onion, finely chopped
07 - 1 cup cucumber, diced
08 - ½ cup pomegranate seeds
→ Herbs & Add-ins
09 - ¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
10 - ¼ cup fresh mint, chopped
11 - ¼ cup feta cheese, crumbled (optional)
12 - ¼ cup toasted almonds or pistachios, roughly chopped
→ Dressing
13 - 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
14 - Juice and zest of 1 lemon
15 - 1 tablespoon orange juice
16 - 1 teaspoon honey or maple syrup
17 - 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
18 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
# How To Make:
01 - Combine quinoa and water or vegetable broth in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes until liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat and allow to stand covered for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and let cool.
02 - While the quinoa cooks, dice bell peppers, halve cherry tomatoes, finely chop red onion, dice cucumber, and chop fresh parsley and mint.
03 - In a large bowl, mix the cooled quinoa with diced bell peppers, cherry tomatoes, red onion, cucumber, pomegranate seeds, parsley, and mint.
04 - Whisk together olive oil, lemon juice and zest, orange juice, honey or maple syrup, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper in a small bowl.
05 - Pour the dressing over the salad mixture and toss gently to combine evenly.
06 - Fold in crumbled feta cheese if using, and toasted almonds or pistachios just before serving.
07 - Serve chilled or at room temperature.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- It's colorful enough to make you feel fancy without requiring any actual skill or stress.
- The flavors get better as it sits, so you can actually prep it ahead instead of scrambling before guests arrive.
- It tastes light and bright but somehow keeps you satisfied, which is rarer than you'd think.
02 -
- Rinse your quinoa even if the package says it's pre-rinsed—this one step prevents that chalky, bitter taste that makes people push it around their plate.
- Don't dress the salad too far in advance or it gets watery; mix the dressing in 10 to 15 minutes before serving.
- Toast your nuts yourself rather than buying pre-toasted—they taste infinitely fresher and you actually notice them in every bite.
03 -
- Make the dressing in the bowl you'll use for the salad to save a dish and keep everything in one place.
- If pomegranate season has passed, pomegranate molasses stirred into the dressing adds that same bright, tart note and lasts all year.