Arugula Quinoa Salad With Lemon Vinaigrette
An arugula quinoa salad recipe with a mix of textures and flavors like peppery arugula, fluffy quinoa, and a zesty lemon dressing. It's gluten-free, dairy-free, vegetarian-friendly, and made with a handful of simple ingredients.
Ingredients
Quinoa
- ¼ cup dry quinoa or about 1 ½ cups cooked quinoa
- 1 ¼ cups water
Salad
- 5 ounces arugula about 8 cups
- ¼ cup toasted pumpkin seeds
- 2-3 tablespoons dried cranberries or golden raisins
- 1 pear, thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon hemp seeds
Honey Mustard Vinaigrette
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Rinse the dry quinoa in a fine mesh strainer. Bring the water, quinoa, and pinch of salt to a boil in a medium saucepan. Once boiling, cover with a lid and reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook until the quinoa has absorbed all the water, about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and let it sit for an additional 5 minutes. Remove the lid, fluff with a fork, and let cool to room temperature.
- Add the dressing ingredients to a small bowl or mason jar and whisk or shake to combine. Season to taste with salt and black pepper.
- In a large bowl, add the arugula, followed by the cooked and cooled quinoa, toasted pumpkin seeds, dried cranberries, and hemp seeds. Pour over the salad dressing and toss to combine. Then add the sliced pears. Serve immediately.
Notes
Store undressed salad in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Don't slice the pears until serving. If the salad is dressed, consume it by the following day.