Gluten-Free Cranberry-Almond Quinoa Salad

Submitted by Turner Broadcasting

"© 2014 Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. All rights reserved. This salad has it all: it's tasty, nutritious and satisfying. It even tastes better after a night in the fridge! Quinoa, the base of this salad, is a superfood that is naturally gluten free and contains all of the essential amino acids. This recipe dresses quinoa up with dried cranberries, almonds and refreshing mint. For a twist, try subbing in cooked couscous, bulgur, millet or farro."

 

• Ready In: 25mins
• Ingredients: 10
• Serves: 4

ingredients

• Dressing

• 1⁄4 cup olive oil
• 3 1⁄2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• 1⁄2 teaspoon honey
• 1⁄2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1⁄8 teaspoon ground black pepper

• Salad

• 1⁄2 cup dried cranberries
• 1 cup uncooked quinoa
• 1 cup scallion, sliced into 1/4-inch rings
• 3⁄4 cup sliced blanched almond
• 3 tablespoons fresh mint leaves, cut into chiffonade

directions

1. For the dressing: Whisk together the oil, lemon juice, honey, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Set aside.
2. For the salad: Bring 2 1/2 cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan with a tight-fitting lid. Place the cranberries in a small bowl. Ladle out 1/2 cup of the boiling water over the cranberries to rehydrate. Pour the quinoa into the pot with the remaining boiling water, cover and reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook until the quinoa absorbs the water, 12 to 15 minutes. Fluff with a fork, and transfer to a large bowl.
3. Drain the cranberries and scatter them over the quinoa. Add the scallions, almonds and vinaigrette, and fold into the salad until evenly distributed. Add the mint and serve, or chill overnight if desired.