Spicy Quinoa Salad
- Ready In:
- 25mins
- Ingredients:
- 11
- Serves:
-
4
ingredients
- 1 cup quinoa
- 2 cups water
- 1 1⁄2 cups fresh cranberries
- 4 tablespoons lime juice
- 4 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon lemongrass, minced
- 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
- 1 1⁄2 teaspoons serrano peppers, seeded,minced
- 1 tablespoon mint, minced
- 1 tablespoon cilantro, minced
- 1⁄4 cup red onion, minced
directions
- In a bowl, rinse quinoa several times with cold water.
- In a large pot, bring the 2 cups of water to a boil, add the quinoa and simmer for 20 minutes or until all liquid is absorbed.
- While quinoa is cooking, combine half of the honey, lemongrass, garlic and peppers in a small bowl.
- Prepare the cranberries by whizzing them in a food processor with the remaining honey and lime juice until the cranberries are mere flecks and the mixture is a beautifully vibrant red.
- When quinoa has cooked, stir in the lemongrass mixture and the cranberry mixture until combined.
- Finally, add the mint, cilantro and red onion to the quinoa and mix thoroughly.
- Set the quinoa salad in a covered bowl in the refrigerator for at least an hour to chill before serving.
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Reviews
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The other reviewer is right; this is a very creative recipe! This is the most beautifully colored dish I have ever made...very jewel like tones of cranberry red and rich fresh greens. I loved the various flavor accents - the way the tart played with the spicy heat and the minty sweetness - very interesting!!! My husb. described it as a sweet and sour taste, but it was a bit more complex than that. I made this with frozen cranberries (because of the seasonal availability in my local store) but was able to get all the other ingredients fresh. I upped the pepper content just a bit and admit that I stopped paying attention to exact amounts of all the accents as I added them and went more by the color and a few spoon tests. When it was the right contrast of pinkish red and green I stopped, tasted and chilled. I topped it with a few whole berries, but may try nuts as the other reviewer suggested next time. I was quite happy with the result: fresh, light and lovely. This makes a gorgeous looking and special tasting salad.
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Great recipe! A very creative use of quinoa. The color is a vivid red, sure to add excitement to the table. Even my husband, not the world's biggest cranberry fan, gave it a thumbs-up. I used frozen cranberries--took them straight from the freezer to the food processor, and that worked great. I sprinkled some chopped, toasted pecans on top, too. Fantastic! I'll definitely make this again!
RECIPE SUBMITTED BY
rsarahl
United States
I am a wife and mom of 2 vibrant little boys. They love to create and cook in the kitchen... I love their curiosity and willingness to try new foods and techniques as I introduce them.
I love to cook... always have. Thanks to my father for this culinary passion! While I am addicted to collecting cookbooks, my dad taught me to experiment in the kitchen and gave me the gift of knowing that creative cooking doesn't have to come from a book.