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–+ servings
Summer Quinoa Salad in a white salad bowl.

Summer Quinoa Salad with Cherries and Feta

Yield: 6 servings
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 12 minutes
Total Time: 32 minutes
This light and fresh summer quinoa salad is the perfect side for dinner on the patio. It's loaded with sweet cherries, toasted almonds, feta, and fresh herbs, then tossed with a lemony dressing. Leftovers make a delicious lunch.

Ingredients

Summer Quinoa Salad

  • 1 cup uncooked quinoa
  • 1 cup cherries, pitted and quartered
  • ¼ cup crumbled feta
  • ½ cup dry roasted almonds, chopped
  • ¼ cup EACH: chopped basil, mint, and dill

The Dressing

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
    image for recipe instruction
  • 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
    image for recipe instruction
  • In a medium-sized bowl, whisk all of the salad dressing ingredients.
    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
    image for recipe instruction
  • 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
    image for recipe instruction

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!
Serving: 1 serving = ⅙ of the recipe, Calories: 272kcal, Carbohydrates: 25g, Protein: 7g, Fat: 17g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 10g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 6mg, Sodium: 280mg, Potassium: 299mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 4g, Vitamin A: 100IU, Vitamin C: 7mg, Calcium: 75mg, Iron: 2mg