Happy 2020! I can't believe it took me till now to share my first post of the year haha. And what a better way to start off the year other than with a big colorful quinoa salad? I took a break over the holidays which lasted longer than I initially expected but I'm back and ready for 2020!
Normally I'd say the first month of the year just flew by but this January wasn't the case. This past month literally felt like 5 months. So much has happened not only in my life but all around the world. It's been crazy but I believe that everything is going be okay in the end. For now, let's just stay positive and talk about this delicious quinoa salad recipe!
This quinoa salad can either be a main dish or I especially like it as a side to some roasted vegetables or fish. I made roasted cauliflower steaks the other day and this quinoa salad was the perfect side along with some more greens.
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Pan-fried halloumi also goes really well with this salad. The saltiness of it adds great flavor.
I was never a big fan of parsley because it's very fragrant and it's a bit hard to chew. It usually overpowers the flavor of a lot of meals but I actually really liked it in this salad in the combination with pomegranate seeds. Their tartiness and sweetness add a great flavor and ties well with the earthiness of the parsley. I also chopped some fresh mint to add more flavor and cumin as I think it goes well with the parsley & mint combo. The lemon dressing is a must here. The citrus is really what makes this salad shine. Okay, that might be an over-exaggeration but it's true! Adding something tangy whether it's citrus or some type of vinegar is a must to round the flavor and tie it all together.
As perfect as this salad is for fall and winter because of the pomegranate seeds, it's also a nice side dish for hot summer days because that's when all the herbs are in season and who'd say no to a refreshing salad in the summer, right?
Want more quinoa salad recipes? Try these!
ROASTED OKRA QUAIL EGGS AND HERBED QUINOA BOWL
THAI POWER BOWL WITH WILD PEANUT BUTTER DRESSING
📖 Recipe
Quinoa Salad with Pomegranate Seeds and Lemon Dressing
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 15 mins
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 5 cups 1x
- Category: salad
- Method: cooking
- Cuisine: middle eastern
Description
Quinoa Salad with parsley, mint, pomegranate seeds, and cumin. Drizzled with Lemon Dressing
Ingredients
Salad
- 1 cup quinoa, dry (yields 4 cups cooked)
- ½ cup chopped parsley
- ¼ cup chopped mint
- ⅔ cup pomegranate seeds (1 pomegranate)
- ½ small onion, finely chopped
Lemon Dressing
- Juice of 1 lemon (aprox 2 tbsp)
- Zest of 1 lemon (1 tsp)
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp cumin (optional)
- a pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)
- sea salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Salad
- Cook 1 cup of quinoa with 2 cups of water for 12-15 mins or acording to package instruction. Cool before mixing with the rest of the ingredients.
- In a big bowl mix the quinoa, parsley, mint, pomegranate seeds, and onion. Set aside
Lemon Dressing
- Mix all the ingredients in a small glass until well combined.
Pour the dressing over the salad and toss. Either serve immediatelly or store in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Notes
This salad is great with roasted califlower, fish, or grilled halloumi.
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Sarah Althouse says
I love that this has no vinegar! And I happen to be a big fan of cilantro. :) haha
Veronika | thehealthfulideas says
Yes! I usually use lemon juice in my salad dressings rather than vinegar :)
Heather says
I made a salad very similar last week and my family loved it! I can't wait to try this one!
Veronika | thehealthfulideas says
Yay! Hope this one is a hit as well!
Brittany Limberakis says
Yum! I just started eating quinoa more and I love it!
Veronika | thehealthfulideas says
So good!
Jordan | Read. Eat. Repeat. says
Wow, so many big flavors going on here!
Veronika | thehealthfulideas says
Definitely one of my favorites! :)
Ashley R says
What an interesting combo of ingredients. Not sure I would like it but my mother in law would. I will pass it along.
Veronika | thehealthfulideas says
Thank you! Hope she enjoys it
Liddie says
Delicious! I had cucumber and spinach I needed to use so I added those in as well. I didn’t have all of the quinoa required so I was a cup short - but still delish! I’m a huuuge fan of tabouli so the parsley/mint ratio was not a concern. I wasn’t sure about the cumin so I used 1/4 tsp but it’s good so I will add the full amount next time.