Herbed Quinoa and Pomegranate Salad

Ingredients

Contains: milk, tree nuts (auto-detected from the ingredients and method; we can miss things, so check labels)

• 1 cup quinoa
• ⅓ cup slivered almonds
• ⅓ cup chopped fresh mint leaves
• ⅓ cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
• ⅓ cup fresh pomegranate arils
• ⅓ cup dried cranberries or raisins
• ⅓ cup thinly sliced Kalamata olives (and/or ⅓ cup crumbled goat cheese or feta)
• ¼ cup olive oil
• ¼ cup fresh lemon juice (about two medium lemons, juiced)
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• Several twists of freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Method written by CompKitchen from the ingredient list. Not the original author's method, not kitchen-tested.

1. Rinse the quinoa well in a fine-mesh strainer. Bring a pan of boiling water to a boil, add the quinoa, reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook about 15 minutes until tender and the water is absorbed.

2. Meanwhile, toast the slivered almonds in a dry skillet over medium heat for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring often, until golden. Transfer them to a plate to cool.

3. In a large bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, salt, cinnamon, and several twists of black pepper.

4. Fluff the hot quinoa with a fork, spread it on a tray for about 10 minutes to cool slightly, then add it to the dressing and toss well.

5. Stir in the dried cranberries or raisins and let the mixture stand about 10 minutes so they soften.

6. Add the chopped mint, chopped parsley, pomegranate arils, toasted almonds, and the sliced Kalamata olives. If using goat cheese or feta instead, crumble it in now (optional).

7. Toss gently to combine, then taste and adjust the pepper or salt as needed.

8. Serve at room temperature or chill for 30 minutes before serving.