Quinoa Celery Apple/Pear Salad
Need a delicious salad for the holidays? This salad, with its colorful dried cranberries and celery, is perfect for the holiday season. It has a tang that your friends and family will rave about. Packed with nutrition and protein, quinoa makes this salad a healthy winner!
Quinoa Celery Apple/Pear Salad
Yield: 6 - 8 servings
Prep time: 20 MinCook time: 20 MinTotal time: 40 Min
Need a delicious salad for the holidays? This salad, with its colorful dried cranberries and celery, is perfect for the holiday season. It has a tang that your friends and family will rave about. Packed with nutrition and protein, quinoa makes this salad a healthy winner!
Ingredients
- 4 cups quinoa, cooked (1 1/2 cup uncooked)
- 2/3 cup dried cranberries or golden raisins
- 1/2 cup white balsamic vinegar
- 4 cups thinly, diagonally sliced celery
- 2 cups loosely packed fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
- 1 red apple or pear, cored and diced
- Sunflower seeds, pomegranate seeds (use the juice from the pomegranate to soak the cut pears) and/or mandarin oranges (optional)
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoons black pepper
- 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Combine dried cranberries or golden raisins with vinegar in a microwave safe bowl; microwave 1 minute and 15 seconds or until cranberries or raisins are plump. Drain cranberries in a colander over medium bowl, reserving 3 tablespoons vinegar for later. Discard remaining vinegar.
- Combine cranberries or raisins, celery, parsley, and optional ingredients in a large bowl.
- Add salt and pepper to reserved vinegar, stirring with a whisk. Gradually add oil, stirring constantly with the whisk. Add cut apples or pears (be sure to drain first if you soaked them in pomegranate juice) and drizzle dressing over salad; toss gently to coat. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours (optional).
- Rinse uncooked quinoa with water (if not already pre-rinsed) and cook per package instructions. Toss salad with the cooked quinoa and sunflower or pomegranate seeds (optional) just before serving. Delicious!
