Quinoa Salad with Spinach, Pear & Portabella Mushrooms

Description

Quinoa Salad

This nutritious Quinoa Salad is prepared with quinoa, which is a grain that originates from the Andes Mountains in South America.  It is a staple just like corn, potatoes, pasta, rice.  It is an exceptional grain because it adapts to different growing conditions and it has a superior nutrient composition. Quinoa seeds contain essential amino acids like lysine and good quantities of calcium, phosphorus, and iron. On top of this, it is gluten free and easy to prepare!

Our recipe for Quinoa Salad is prepared with fresh spinach, pears and portabella mushrooms.  It is a great salad to add to your assortment of summer recipes, because it is very light, healthy, and nutritious. It is prepared with our Balsamic Vinegar and Roasted Garlic Olive Oil.

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

DRESSING AND MUSHROOMS
1/4 Cup	Balsamic Vinegar
2 tsp	Mustard – Dijon
1 whole	Pear – ripe, peeled, cored, and cut in large pieces
1/3 Cup	Roasted Garlic Olive Oil
2 pounds	Portobello mushrooms – stems and gills removed, cut into 1 inch pieces
SALAD
1 Cup	Quinoa – pearl size, white or red
1/2 Cup	Walnut pieces – washed and toasted
1 Tbsp	Roasted Garlic Olive Oil
1/2 Cup	Cranberries – dried
4 whole	Green onions – cleaned and thinly sliced
To taste	Salt – preferably fleur de sel
To taste	Pepper – black, freshly ground
GARNISH
3 whole	Pears – ripe, peeled, cored, quartered, and sliced
4 Cups	Baby spinach – washed

 

Instructions

Preheat oven to 475 degrees F

Salad dressing and roasted mushrooms
1. In a blender on medium speed blend the Balsamic Vinegar, Dijon mustard and pear. Blend until smooth, approximately 30 seconds. In a slow steady stream pour the Roasted Garlic Olive Oil into the mixture. Continue to blend for another 30 seconds. Set aside.
2. Place the chopped mushrooms in a large mixing bowl. Toss ¼ cup of the dressing into the mushrooms. Cover the remaining dressing and refrigerate until ready to use.
3. Spread the mushrooms in a single layer, on a large rimmed baking sheet (approximately 12”x 14”)
4. Place the baking sheet in the lower section of the preheated oven and roast for 20 to 30 minutes. Stir occasionally. Remove from the oven an allow to cool at room temperature.

Quinoa
To prepare the quinoa follow the package instructions/or:

• rinse the quinoa thoroughly with water
• in a large pot, on high heat, bring 1 ¾ cup water to a boil
• stir in the quinoa, cover the pot and reduce heat to low, simmer for 15 minutes
• remove the pot from the heat and allow to sit for 5-10 minutes
• remove the lid and fluff the quinoa with a fork
• let cool to room temperature

To toast the walnuts:

• preheat oven to 350◦F
• rinse the walnuts thoroughly with water
• spread the walnuts out on a baking sheet
• toss with Roasted Garlic Olive Oil and season with salt and pepper
• place the baking sheet in the lower section of the oven and bake for 5-10 minutes
• watch carefully to prevent burning
• remove the toasted walnuts from the oven and allow to cool to room temperature

To prepare the quinoa portion of the quinoa salad:

• combine mushrooms, quinoa, green onion, walnuts, dried cranberries, salt, pepper and remaining salad dressing
• cover and refrigerate until ready to serve

To serve the salad:

• just before serving toss the spinach into the quinoa salad
• season to taste with salt and pepper
• place the salad in a large serving bowl or in individual serving dishes and garnish with a freshly cut pear
• serve immediately

 

Quinoa Salad with Spinach, Pear & Portabella Mushrooms – Notes:

Did you know that according to the Whole Grains Council there are roughly 120 known varieties of quinoa?  When shopping for ingredients to prepare this quinoa salad recipe,  don’t feel limited to the suggested fruits, mushrooms and grains.  Get creative and most importantly have fun. Try different varieties of quinoa and add seasonal fruits to this healthy and wonderfully nutritious summer recipe.

Something else you should know about quinoa, 2013 was declared the “International Year of Quinoa,”  in recognition of the preservation, ancestral background, and the important role it plays in achieving the Millennium Development Goals. With the high nutritional benefits of quinoa, it has the potential to provide food security in order to assist in eradicating poverty.