Spinach-Quinoa Salad with Cherries and Almonds

If you are a lover of quinoa, or even if you aren't, this is a must-try recipe. This is my new favorite recipe because the dish explodes with flavor with every single bite you take. It's a very light dish, which might be recommended for the warmer months; however, during this cold month of January I thoroughly enjoyed it. Perhaps it's just that dish I need to forget about the cold temperatures outside!

Spinach-Quinoa Salad with Cherries and Almonds
Courtsey of Vegetarian Times

Ingredient List
Serves 4-6 (Four servings if this is your main dish; six if it's just a side dish.)
1/4 cup sliced almonds
1.5 cups quinoa
2 cups spinach leaves
2 cups fresh cherries (pitted and halved) OR 1 cup dried cherries (chopped)
1 cucumber (peeled and chopped)
1 small red onion (finely chopped)
1/4 cup plain low-fat yogurt
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp lemon juice
3 cloves garlic (minced)

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread almonds on a baking sheet and toast until golden brown. (Of note, baking time will likely vary. My almonds toasted in 4 minutes. The original recipe estimated 7 to 10 minutes.)
2. Boil 3 cups of water. Stir in quinoa. Reduce heat to medium, cover, and simmer (approximately 20 minutes) until the liquid has been absorbed.
3. Remove from heat and let cool.
4. Lay 5 or 6 spinach leaves flat on top of each other. Roll tightly into a cylinder and slice into slivers. Repeat with remaining spinach.
5. Mix quinoa, almonds, spinach, cherries, cucumber, and red onion in large bowl. In another smaller bowl mix together yogurt, olive oil, lemon juice, and garlic using a whisk. Pour over salad and toss gently. Add salt and pepper to your tastes. Chill 30 minutes to allow flavors to develop before serving.

Comments
Just a note of caution. This recipe requires a bit of preparation if you don't buy pre-chopped ingredients. I spent 30 to 45 minutes chopping. For me, I don't mind. Isn't that truly the art of cooking anyway?! :) But, for all of those in a time crunch you can either pre-chop the day before or just buy pre-chopped ingredients.

Rolling the spinach and cutting it is fun! I felt like I was back in elementary school in art class. I'm not sure why. Maybe it's because the spinach looks like confetti to me!



Since it is NOT cherry season (and I fully believe trying to consume seasonal fruits and vegetables the majority of the time!), I used dried cherries. It adds a little sweetness to this dish that I fully enjoyed.

The original recipe called for TWO things I did not do. I did not remove the seeds from my cucumber. (Isn't that just waste anyway? In all seriousness, seeds can take away from a dish such as the Raita dish I posted months ago; however, in this dish I feel as the seeds do no harm.) I also did not include one 15oz can of chickpeas. I actually think chickpeas would directly compete with the flavors of quinoa and make it less than the amazing dish it currently is.

In regards to the dressing, I used only 1 tbsp of oil although the original recipe called for 3 tbsp. Next time around I think I will increase the yogurt to 1/2 cup and then subsequently increase the oil to 2 tbsp. I also love garlic so I used 3 cloves and not 2 that the original recipe called for. I actually think next time I might even up that to 4 cloves!! (FYI. You might wanna pass on the smooching for the night!) Finally, I think this recipe does not need extra salt or pepper. There are so many wonderful flavors from each ingredient itself! Give it a try! You won't be disappointed!!