Quinoa & Veggie Salad with Apples, Dried Berries, Walnuts & Cheddar
Easy to make, and it was delicious as well as packed with good-for-you ingredients. Will be making it again soon.
Yield
10 servingsPrep
20 minCook
22 minReady
45 minIngredients
| Amount | Measure | Ingredient | Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 ½ | cups |
quinoa
preferably red, or regular quina |
|
|
salt
to taste |
*
|
||
| 4 | tablespoons |
vegetable oil
2 tablespoons canola oil, olive oil and the other 2 tablespoons good olive oil |
|
| 1 | large |
red onion
quartered lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise |
|
| 2 | tablespoons |
balsamic vinegar
|
|
| 4 | ounces |
arugula (roquette)
trimmed and thinly sliced, 3 to 4 cups |
|
| 4 | ounces |
cheddar cheese
aged, 1cup and shredded or finely diced |
|
| 2 | large |
celery stalks
thinly sliced |
*
|
| 1 | large |
apples
cripsy, such as fuji, cut into 1/2-inch dice |
*
|
| 1 | cup |
walnuts
coarsely chopped |
|
| 1 | cup |
fennel bulb
finely diced |
*
|
| ¾ | cup |
cranberries, dried
|
*
|
| 3 | tablespoons |
sherry vinegar
|
|
|
black pepper
freshly ground |
*
|
Ingredients
| Amount | Measure | Ingredient | Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| 355 | ml |
quinoa
preferably red, or regular quina |
|
| 1 | x |
salt
to taste |
*
|
| 6E+1 | ml |
vegetable oil
2 tablespoons canola oil, olive oil and the other 2 tablespoons good olive oil |
|
| 1 | large |
red onion
quartered lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise |
|
| 3E+1 | ml |
balsamic vinegar
|
|
| 115.6 | ml/g |
arugula (roquette)
trimmed and thinly sliced, 3 to 4 cups |
|
| 115.6 | ml/g |
cheddar cheese
aged, 1cup and shredded or finely diced |
|
| 2 | large |
celery stalks
thinly sliced |
*
|
| 1 | large |
apples
cripsy, such as fuji, cut into 1/2-inch dice |
*
|
| 237 | ml |
walnuts
coarsely chopped |
|
| 237 | ml |
fennel bulb
finely diced |
*
|
| 177 | ml |
cranberries, dried
|
*
|
| 45 | ml |
sherry vinegar
|
|
| 1 | x |
black pepper
freshly ground |
*
|
Directions
In a bowl, rinse the quinoa with water, rubbing it between your fingers for about 10 seconds. Drain and transfer it to a 3-quart pot.
Add 2½ cups water and ¼ teaspoon salt and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer, covered, until the quinoa is tender but still delicately crunchy, 14 to 16 minutes. Drain the quinoa and return it to the pot.
Cover and let the quinoa rest for 5 minutes, then fluff it with a fork. Allow to cool to room temperature.
While the quinoa cooks, heat 2 tablespoons of the vegetable oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.
Stir in the onion and a pinch of salt, cook, stirring constantly, until tender and brown around the edges, about 7 minutes.
Stir in the balsamic vinegar and toss with the onions until the vinegar has been evaporated, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow cool to room temperature.
In a large bowl, combine the quinoa, onions, arugula, cheese, celery, apple, walnuts, fennel, and cranberries.
In a small bowl, add the remaining good olive oil with the sherry vinegar, ¼ salt, and some freshly ground black pepper.
Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to evenly coat. Allow the flavor to develop for about 10 to 15 minutes, season to taste with salt and pepper if needed.
Divide among the serving plates and serve.
