This Balsamic, Mint & Feta Crunchy Quinoa Salad is powerfully nutritious and sinfully delicious. Combine the textures and flavours of smooth sweet potato, salty feta cheese and crunchy pumpkin seeds with a tart lemon vinaigrette.
Oh darn. I’ve given you fair warning that this salad is THE TASTIEST and you may never make another salad again.
This Balsamic Mint & Feta Crunchy Quinoa Salad has happened three weeks in a row at my house, and I’m not even mad about it. A tasty salad with fruit! crunchy seeds! fresh mint! sweet potats! cheese! and also… cheese! I mean what more could you ask for in this life? How are the other salads supposed to feel?
Quinoa is a fantastic source of vegetarian protein. It’s an excellent substitute to white pasta or rice due to the fibre and protein content. If you want to try another quinoa dish, check out my Quinoa Buddha Bowl With Lemon Tahini Sauce.
Happy Cooking 🙂
Yields About 8 servings
This Balsamic, Mint & Feta Crunchy Quinoa Salad is powerfully nutritious and sinfully delicious. Combine the textures and flavours of smooth sweet potato, salty feta cheese and crunchy pumpkin seeds with a tart lemon vinaigrette.
35 minPrep Time
20 minCook Time
55 minTotal Time
Ingredients
- 1 cup dried quinoa
- 2 cups water or vegetable broth
- 1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cubed
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon table salt + pinch of pepper
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries (no sugar added)
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh mint
- 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
- 1/2 cup roasted pumpkin seeds
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- Juice from 1 lemon
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit and line a large baking tray with parchment or spray with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside and prepare quinoa.
- Combine quinoa and water or vegetable broth in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil. Once boiling, turn the temperature to low, cover with a lid and let simmer for 15 minutes (or until quinoa is cooked through)*.
- While quinoa is cooking, dice sweet potato into small cubes (slightly smaller than the size of a dice). Toss with 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, salt and pepper. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until tender. Toss halfway through to avoid burning.
- Once quinoa and sweet potato are cooked, let them cool for about 20 minutes. In the meantime, prepare dressing in a small container and stir well.
- In a medium bowl, combine cooked quinoa, sweet potato, dried cranberries, fresh mint, feta cheese and pumpkin seeds. Toss with dressing and serve immediately.
Notes
*When cooking quinoa, only stir 1-2 times - over-stiring will make the quinoa mushy
*Please note that nutritional information is approximate based on data found in the Nutrifox plugin
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