This is a wonderful salad with a homemade dressing. Homemade dressings are so very good and they take only minutes. Why buy store-bought dressing when you can have homemade in minutes and it tastes so much better!
Quinoa, Pomegranate, Almond and Feta Salad
(makes about 4 servings)
- ¼ cup white, black or red quinoa, rinsed thoroughly and drained in a sieve
- ½ cup water
- pinch of salt
- 4 cups greens – either all spinach, a mix of spring baby greens, or a combination of the two (I used combo)
- ¾ cup crumbled feta cheese
- ½ cup sliced almonds
- ¼ cup thinly sliced red onion (optional)
- 1 pomegranate, seeded (about 1 cup) (I could not find pomegranate and substituted dried cranberries)
The vinaigrette:
- 3 Tablespoons sherry vinegar
- 3 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (I chose a lemon-infused olive oil)
- 1 extra-full Tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Rinse quinoa in several bowls of fresh water, using a fine sieve to contain the little seeds. Bring ½ cup lightly-salted water to a boil, add quinoa, reduce heat and simmer with the lid on for 12 minutes. Allow pot to sit, undisturbed for another 4 minutes. Remove lid and fluff the quinoa. Allow to cool.
In the meantime, toast almonds on a baking sheet in a pre-heated 350°F oven until fragrant and lightly browned, about 5 to 8 minutes. *Almonds can also be toasted stove top for approximately 5 minutes – watch closely and stir until nicely browned.
Whisk up the vinaigrette’s ingredients and allow the flavors to blend.
To a large bowl, add the greens, feta, onion (if using), quinoa, cranberries and toasted almonds. Toss with the dressing and serve immediately
Source: Cooking-Spre.com
Pasta Princess and More 
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Happy to see you enjoyed the salad! We love it too! 🙂
Yes we did. I had made extra last evening and enjoyed it again for my lunch today. You have a beautiful blog and your photos are always amazing!
Totally enjoying your yummy blog…I feel like I am in the kitchen with a great friend. Just nominated you for a “Versatile Blogger Award.” Click on my link to find out more about it. Congratulations and thanks for inspiring me!
Thank you so much! Wow … I didn’t expect that and I am very honored! So much that I had a huge smile on my face all evening along with a “happy dance”. Thank you again and I am so glad you are enjoying my blog! 🙂
This looks very yummy, Cheryl! I love toasted nuts on salad and the dressing is also to my liking – honey and mustard. I can’t wait to try this. Thanks a lot for the recipe!
Thank you Malou 🙂 I hope you enjoy it!
This looks tasty and healthy. Is it hard to find the Quinoa and what does it taste like?
Thank you. No, it shouldn’t be too difficult to find. Our local grocery store carries it. I’ve just recently started cooking quinoa. You can find it as Black Quinoa, Red or regular. I’m not sure what the difference is. As to taste, well that is hard to explain. There is such a small amount in the salad you probably won’t taste it except for maybe a little crunch. I’ve used it as a main ingredient for a salad and I love it … the closest I could explain maybe a little nutty? Give it a try and let me know what you think. 🙂
That’s a beautiful looking salad, you take such elegant photos. I’d love to be sitting at the table enjoying that.
Thank you so much for the compliments! Pull up a chair! 🙂 Have a great day.