Quinoa Salad with Dried Cranberries

This delicious healthy quinoa salad recipe is full of flavor and texture with a sweet and savory flavor profile. Makes a great side dish!

Course Salad

Cuisine American

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 15

Total Time 20

Servings

Calories 206kcal

Author Amee

1 cup dry quinoa
1 cup water
1 cup chicken broth you can also use beef, or vegetable broth for a vegan option
1 small head radicchio cored and thinly sliced
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar good quality balsamic recommended
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup pistachios chopped
3 tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley chopped
1/2 tsp salt
Fresh ground pepper to taste

Rinse the quinoa in a fine mesh strainer under cold water.
In a saucepan over high heat, bring the water and stock to a boil.
Add quinoa and reduce heat to low.
Cover and simmer until grains are tender and liquid is absorbed, about 15 minutes.
Set aside and allow to cool.
Transfer quinoa to a large bowl and add all other ingredients.
Toss to mix and season with salt and pepper.
Serve warm or room temperature.
Store in the refrigerator.

Always rinse your quinoa. The natural coating on quinoa grains has a bitter, soapy taste. A good rinse gets rid of that unpleasant flavor.
Be sure to let the quinoa cool to room temperature before tossing it with the remaining ingredients to keep the mix-ins fresh and crisp.
You can cook the quinoa 1 to 2 days in advance and store it in the fridge until you're ready to assemble the rest of the dish.
It would be best if you used dried cranberries. Fresh cranberries are too tart and sour.