Directions: |
Directions:Pomegranate Quinoa Salad with Mandarin Ginger Dressing
This Pomegranate Quinoa Salad has festive flair and is perfect for the holidays! You'll love this delicious combination of juicy mandarin oranges, warming ginger dressing and refreshing pomegranate seeds!
Servings: 8 side salads or 4 large salads
Salad
3 cups cooked quinoa, cooled (approx. 1 cup dry)
1 bunch lacinato (black) kale
2/3 cup red onion, minced (approx. ½ of a medium onion)
1 cup pomegranate seeds (from 1 pomegranate)
4 small mandarin oranges
½ cup green onion, chopped (3-4 green onions)
1 cup pecans
Dressing
1 tsp orange zest (from 1 navel orange)
1/3 cup fresh squeezed orange juice (from 1 medium sized navel orange)
1 ½ tsp fresh ginger, grated or minced
2 tsp honey (raw, unpasteurized)
2 tsp maple syrup
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
1/3 cup olive oil
1/8 tsp black pepper
1/8 tsp Herbamare or sea salt
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 350°F and toast the pecans on a baking sheet for 4-5 minutes until very lightly browned. Once toasted, set them aside and chop them once cooled.
Remove and discard the stems from the kale and chop the leaves very finely. Once the leaves are chopped, squeeze with your hands to soften before adding the kale to a large bowl.
Open the pomegranate by cutting it in half with a large knife. Separate the seeds from the flesh and add the seeds to the large bowl with the kale.
Peel the mandarin oranges and cut the orange in half horizontally to section the wedges in half. Separate each wedge and add it to the salad bowl.
Add the red onion, chopped green onions, cooked quinoa and chopped pecans to the salad bowl.
To make your dressing: Zest your orange using a fine grater before you then juice the same orange. Add the zest and the juice to a medium sized bowl along with all other dressing ingredients. Stir to combine.
Add the dressing to the large salad bowl and stir well to combine. For maximal flavour, let the salad marinate in the dressing for at least 30 minutes prior to serving.
The salad can be stored in the fridge for up to a few days and is best served slightly chilled. If you won't be serving the salad the same day, I suggest keeping the toasted pecans separate until serving so they will maintain their crunch.
Notes
Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, Egg-Free, Soy-Free, Corn-Free, Vegan (if honey replaced with maple syrup)
By Dr. Kimberley O'Brien, N.D. | Healthy Life Redesign | All content is Copyright Protected - ©2013 - 2016 |
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