Cranberry-Orange Quinoa Salad
- Ready In:
- 30mins
- Ingredients:
- 9
- Serves:
-
8
ingredients
- 2 cups dry quinoa
- 1 cup orange juice
- 2 1⁄2 cups water
- 1 cup mandarin orange section, drained
- 1⁄2 cup dried cranberries
- 1⁄2 cup raisins
- 1⁄2 cup walnut pieces
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
directions
- Rinse the quinoa with cold water and strain. In a pot, add the quinoa, water and salt. Bring to a boil and turn the heat down to simmer. Cook for 15 minutes or till the liquid is absorbed. When done, fluff with a fork and then lay out in a thin layer on a baking sheet to cool.
- While the quinoa is cooking, reduce the orange juice to half by simmering is a non-reactive sauce pan for approximately 10 minutes. Set in the freezer for 5 mintues to cool. Once cooled, whisk in olive oil to make a vinaigrette.
- In a large bowl, combine the cranberries, raisins, nuts, orange slices and cooked quinoa. Pour vinaigrette over the mixure and stir together. If desired, add fresh chopped mint. Serve cold. Great with a side of whole grain toast or leafy greens -- or by itself. Makes approx 8 servings.
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Reviews
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A great recipe for work potluck as it doesn't have to be kept cold or heated before serving. I use a toasted canola or a nut oil to complement the nuttiness of the quinoa. I also like to let the raisins and cranberries soften or plump up by adding them to the orange juice or to the quinoa while they are cooking. And I cut the larger mandarin pieces to spread the goodness further (and replace some of the water for the quinoa with the mandarin syrup rather than toss it out). Rinsing the quinoa is a must though. This is a very nice recipe that everyone can enjoy.
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With just the 2 of us, I made only half a recipe & we were very happy with the resulting salad, but then the cranberry-&-orange combo usually does hit the spot for us, anyway! Would be especially nice during the end-of-year holidays, but we thoroughly enjoyed it, as well, on one of the warmest days of the year! Many thanks for sharing the recipe! [Made & reviewed in New Kids on the Block recipe tag]
Tweaks
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A great recipe for work potluck as it doesn't have to be kept cold or heated before serving. I use a toasted canola or a nut oil to complement the nuttiness of the quinoa. I also like to let the raisins and cranberries soften or plump up by adding them to the orange juice or to the quinoa while they are cooking. And I cut the larger mandarin pieces to spread the goodness further (and replace some of the water for the quinoa with the mandarin syrup rather than toss it out). Rinsing the quinoa is a must though. This is a very nice recipe that everyone can enjoy.
RECIPE SUBMITTED BY
My name is Dawn, and I live in Austin with my sweetheart, our dog and cat. At work, my fortune is immense, and the company lets people bring their dogs to the office.
As you probably already guessed, I love to cook! I especially love to bake or find ways to improve recipes or make my own by experimenting. My favorite cookbooks are...The Bakers Bible, The Pillsbury Cookbook, and The Marlboro cookbook. The Marlboro was quite a surprise, and it contains some real gems.
I hope to find some inspiration here and also hope that people enjoy my contributions to this community.
I also am a poet and compete in the local poetry slam.