This light and fresh Summer Quinoa Salad is perfect for a hot sunny day or dinner on the patio. It's loaded with sweet cherries, toasted almonds, feta cheese, and fresh herbs and tossed with a lemony dressing. Leftovers make a healthy and delicious lunch. It's a healthy vegetarian + gluten-free side dish that can easily be made vegan, too.
Ingredients
Summer Quinoa Salad
1cupuncooked quinoa
1cupcherries, pitted and quartered
¼cupcrumbled feta
½cupdry roasted almonds, chopped
¼cupEACH: chopped basil, mint, and dill
The Dressing
juice from 2 large lemons
1tablespoonwhite vinegar
¼cupolive oil
½tablespoondijon mustard
1clovegarlic, very finely minced
½teaspoonsea salt, see notes
A pinch of cayenne
Instructions
Place the quinoa in a small pot and add 2 cups of water. Bring the pot to a boil over high heat. Cover the pot and reduce the heat to medium-low and continue to cook for 12-15 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat, fluff the quinoa with a fork, and set it aside with the lid off to cool.
1 cup uncooked quinoa
While the quinoa is cooking, pit the cherries, chop (and toast, if needed) the almonds, and chop the herbs.
1 cup cherries, ½ cup dry roasted almonds, ¼ cup EACH: chopped basil, mint, and dill
In a medium-sized bowl, whisk all of the salad dressing ingredients.
juice from 2 large lemons, 1 tablespoon white vinegar, ¼ cup olive oil, ½ tablespoon dijon mustard, 1 clove garlic, A pinch of cayenne, ½ teaspoon sea salt
Once the quinoa is room temperature, transfer it to a serving bowl. Add all of the remaining ingredients to the bowl and pour the lemony dressing over the top. Toss well then serve.
¼ cup crumbled feta
Notes
You want the dressing to be a bit salty as it is the salt for the entire dish. The dressing should taste a little saltier than you think it should.This salad keeps very well. Lunch for days!