Cherry Quinoa Salad With Lamb (Printable)
Protein-rich Mediterranean salad with spiced lamb, sweet cherries, fluffy quinoa, feta, and fresh herbs in zesty dressing.
# What You’ll Need:
→ Lamb
01 - 14 oz lamb loin or leg, trimmed and sliced into strips
02 - 1 tbsp olive oil
03 - 1 tsp ground cumin
04 - 1 tsp ground coriander
05 - ½ tsp salt
06 - ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
→ Quinoa
07 - 1 cup quinoa, rinsed
08 - 2 cups water
09 - ½ tsp salt
→ Salad Components
10 - 1¼ cups fresh cherries, pitted and halved
11 - 3½ oz baby spinach or arugula
12 - 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
13 - ⅓ cup feta cheese, crumbled
14 - ¼ cup toasted pistachios or almonds, roughly chopped
15 - 2 tbsp fresh mint, chopped
16 - 2 tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
→ Dressing
17 - 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
18 - 1½ tbsp lemon juice
19 - 1 tsp honey
20 - ½ tsp Dijon mustard
21 - Salt and pepper, to taste
# How To Make It:
01 - Combine rinsed quinoa, water, and salt in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 15 minutes until water is fully absorbed. Remove from heat, fluff with a fork, and allow to cool completely.
02 - Toss lamb strips with olive oil, ground cumin, ground coriander, salt, and black pepper in a bowl. Let marinate at room temperature while the quinoa cooks.
03 - Whisk together extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, honey, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper in a small bowl until emulsified. Set aside until ready to serve.
04 - Heat a skillet or grill pan over medium-high heat. Sear seasoned lamb strips for 2-3 minutes per side until cooked to desired doneness. Remove from heat and let rest for 5 minutes before slicing into bite-sized pieces.
05 - Combine cooled quinoa, pitted cherries, spinach or arugula, sliced red onion, crumbled feta, toasted nuts, chopped mint, and parsley in a large serving bowl.
06 - Add sliced lamb to the salad mixture. Pour dressing over the top and toss gently to coat evenly. Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper if needed. Serve immediately, garnished with extra herbs and nuts if desired.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The cherries burst with juice against the warm spiced lamb creating those sweet and salty moments that make your eyes close involuntarily
- Quinoa soaks up the zesty dressing while holding its texture perfectly so leftovers taste just as good the next day
02 -
- Dont skip rinsing your quinoa repeatedly until the water runs clear or your salad will taste unpleasantly bitter
- Let the lamb rest before slicing or all those juices will end up on your cutting board instead of in your salad
03 -
- Toast your nuts in a dry pan over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes until fragrant watching carefully so they dont burn
- Pit cherries by pressing them with the flat side of a chefs knife the pit pops right out