Rainbow Quinoa Salad

Rainbow Quinoa Salad
Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times
Total Time
35 minutes
Rating
5(1,976)
Comments
Read comments

Dr. David Eisenberg of the Harvard School of Public Health demonstrated along with his daughter, Naomi, a whole- wheat couscous salad that is the inspiration for this one at the “Healthy Kitchens, Healthy Lives” medical education conference in Napa Valley this year. You can use a variety of dried fruits and nuts, as well as a mix of herbs. Chop the larger dried fruits small so that the pieces are uniform.

Featured in: Rainbow Quinoa Salad

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Ingredients

Yield:Serves 6 to 8

    For the Salad

    • 4cups water
    • cup chopped dried fruit (such as apricots, raisins, cranberries, figs, currants)
    • ¼cup chopped cilantro
    • ¼cup chopped fresh mint
    • ½cup chopped fresh parsley
    • Salt to taste
    • 1cup red quinoa or rainbow quinoa, rinsed
    • ¼cup lightly toasted pistachios
    • ¼cup lightly toasted almonds, chopped
    • ¼cup chopped walnuts
    • 2teaspoons lemon zest

    For the Dressing

    • ¼cup fresh lemon juice
    • Salt to taste
    • 1small garlic clove, puréeed (optional)
    • ¼teaspoon ground cinnamon
    • 1teaspoon pomegranate molasses
    • cup extra- virgin olive oil
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (8 servings)

269 calories; 17 grams fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 10 grams monounsaturated fat; 5 grams polyunsaturated fat; 26 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams dietary fiber; 7 grams sugars; 6 grams protein; 442 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Bring water to a boil in a 3-quart saucepan and add quinoa and salt to taste. Bring back to a rolling boil, then reduce heat slightly and boil gently for 20 minutes, or until you see a thread emerge from the blond and red quinoa. Drain and shake well in the strainer, then return to pot. Cover pot with a dishtowel and then , then place a lid over the dishtowel and let sit for 10 to 15 minutes undisturbed. Transfer to a large bowl.

  2. Step 2

    Meanwhile, whisk together lemon juice, salt, garlic, cinnamon, and pomegranate molasses. Whisk in olive oil.

  3. Step 3

    Toss together quinoa and dressing. Add remaining ingredients and toss together. Transfer to a platter, a wide bowl or individual plates and serve.

Ratings

5 out of 5
1,976 user ratings
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Comments

This is a keeper. Really delicious whether the quinoa is warm or room temp. Nice dish to prepare ahead of time and bring to a picnic, too. Like Kate I used maple syrup in the dressing in lieu of the pomegranate molasses, and added a splash of balsamic. There's really so little of it that you can hardly, if at all, tell the difference.

Excellent. Loved the lemon/pomegranate molasses/garlic dressing. And for those of you wondering if you should get pomegranate molasses - do so! It is one of my favorite things. Quite sour but with a great depth of flavor. I like marinating chicken breasts in it with a little soy sauce and pepper. I can find it in the "import" section of my supermarket.

This recipe made a quinoa lover of my husband. I had to make a few substitutions to avoid a trip to the store: extra mint and parsley instead of cilantro; cashews instead of pistachios, maple syrup instead of pomegranate molasses, and red palm oil instead of olive oil (for added nutrition). Absolutely delicious!

I knew this was a big hit at a potluck when people pointed it out on the table telling me I had to try that salad. I modified it slightly by adding 3 sliced spring onions and cut up sugar peas slightly fried in a wok with a little olive oil.

This recipe is sooo good. I added crumbled feta as well and it bumped it up sooo much!

Very good and easy to make. Next time I’ll cut back on oil.

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