A fresh twist on a classic combination. This Cranberry Orange Quinoa Salad with Orange, Mint and Kale is an easy Thanksgiving side dish for your holiday turkey or weeknight chicken.
Ingredients
- 1 cup quinoa
- 2 cup water
- 2 large leaves of kale
- 2 cup fresh cranberries
- 2 TBS extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp honey
- 2 TBS grated orange zest
- 6 small oranges
- 1/4 cup mixed nuts
- 1/4 cup pomegranate arils
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh mint
Instructions
- Rinse quinoa with water and strain.
- In a small pot, add quinoa and 2 cups water to boil.
- Once water is boiling, cover pot, reduce heat to low and continue to cook until the water is gone and quinoa is cooked, about 12-15 minutes.
- Remove quinoa from heat, remove lid and use a spoon to fluff up quinoa. Transfer quinoa to a large mixing bowl and allow it to cool.
- Wash, remove stems from kale. Finely chop kale and add to the quinoa.
- Add cranberries, olive oil and honey in a food processor and pulse to coarsely chop. You do not want it to be a puréed or turn to mush.
- When quinoa is cooled completely, gently stir in the oranges and cranberry mixture.
- Stir in orange zest in with the quinoa.
- Peel and coarsely chop oranges and mix in with the quinoa.
- Stir in nuts, pomegranate and mint.
- Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.