Quinoa and Pear Salad with Berries
Quinoa and pear salad with berries is a great combination of flavors and textures. This salad is a little sweet thanks to the fruit and the dressing plays on that sweetness. The quinoa’s nuttiness is complimented so well by the pecans and that nuttiness melds with the slightly bitter baby spinach. The addition of onion doesn’t hurt either. Aside from creating a bite that dances on the palate, the textures are spot on! Every ingredient gives the salad texture and the slight crunch from the pecans top it all off.
Serves 4-6
Ingredients
The Salad
- 2 fresh pears, cut into chunks
- 2 handfuls fresh baby spinach
- 2 cups chicken/vegetable broth
- 1 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained
- 1/2 cup fresh wild blueberries, rinsed and drained
- 1/2 cup pecans, roughly chopped
- 1/4 cup chopped onion
The Dressing
- 1 tablespoon honey
- Juice of one lime
- Olive oil
- Salt
- Black pepper
Directions
- Bring the chicken or vegetable broth to a boil over medium-high heat. Once boiling, add the quinoa to the broth. Give it a quick stir, reduce to a simmer, and cover. Leave it to cook for about 15 minutes or until tender and all the liquid has absorbed.
- Once the quinoa is done, remove it from the heat, stir in the chopped onion, cover and leave to sit for 5 minutes. After this time, fluff the quinoa with a fork and leave to cool. As it is cooling down, add the honey to a small bowl with the lime juice. Whisk as you slowly drizzle in the olive oil. Stop when a nice dressing forms. When done, season to taste with salt and black pepper.
- Transfer to a salad bowl. Add the pears into the bowl along with the spinach, blueberries, and pecans. Drizzle the dressing on top and toss everything together until lightly dressed.
Learn more about nutritional value.
