Quinoa Salad with Pomegranate and Fresh Herbs
from the kitchen of AICR
¾ cup quinoa
1¾ cups water
¾ teaspoons kosher or sea salt, divided
½ medium Fuji apple, cored and finely chopped
½ cup fresh pomegranate seeds
½ cup finely chopped cilantro
1 cup finely chopped fresh mint
¼ cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
⅓ cup finely chopped scallions, green and white parts
¼ cup blood orange juice or orange juice plus 1 teaspoon lemon juice
Freshly ground pepper
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
Rinse quinoa in strainer, drain well, and place moist grain in heavy, medium saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly with wooden spatula until grains stick to bottom of pot and then start to move freely and smell toasty, about 5 minutes When grains of quinoa start to pop, move pot off heat and pour in 1¾ cups water, standing back as it will splatter. Immediately return pot to heat and reduce heat to medium. Add ¼ teaspoon salt, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes, or until quinoa is almost tender. Off heat, let grain sit, covered, for 10 minutes.
Using a fork, fluff quinoa, and transfer it to mixing bowl. There will be about 2 ¼ cups cooked quinoa.
Let quinoa sit until it is room temperature. Add apple, pomegranate seeds, cilantro, mint, parsley, and scallions to grain and, using a fork, mix to combine them.
In small bowl, whisk blood orange juice, or two citrus juices, with remaining ½ teaspoon salt until it dissolves. Add 4-5 grinds pepper, then whisk in oil. Pour dressing over salad and toss with fork to distribute it evenly. Serve within 2 hours. The quinoa and dressing parts of this salad can be made up to 8 hours ahead, then covered and refrigerated separately and combined shortly before serving
Makes 4 servings.
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