Quinoa and Cranberry Salad with Tomato Vinaigrette

By ldelmas

Ingredients

• For the salad:
• 1 cup red quinoa (we used regular quinoa)
• 1-1/2 cups water
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded and diced
• 1 large cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced
• 1/4 medium red onion or Vidalia onion, very thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup sliced almonds
• 2 heads butter lettuce or romaine, washed and torn into pieces
• For the dressing:
• 2 medium-size ripe heirloom tomatoes, chopped (we used regular tomatoes)
• 1 large garlic clove, crushed
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and ground black pepper to season

Preparation

Step 1

For the dressing:

1.Add the first 5 ingredients into a blender and puree until smooth.
2.Season with the salt and pepper, then place in a container with a tight-fitting lid to chill. (This will keep up to 2 weeks.)
For the salad:

1.Rinse the quinoa and place it in a small pan. Add the water and bring to a boil.
2.Once boiling, reduce the heat to low and simmer with the lid on, until all the water is absorbed and the quinoa is soft.
3.When it’s finished cooking, fluff the quinoa with a fork and place it in a flat container and refrigerate until ready to use.
4.Once the quinoa is cold, toss it with the lettuce and other vegetables, then serve with the chilled tomato vinaigrette.