Healthy Crunchy Quinoa Salad (with Pistachios)
This quinoa salad is sweet, crunchy and has a little Kefir tang! It's super healthy, gluten free and makes a quick and easy weeknight dinner!
Servings 4 -8
Ingredients
- For the salad:
- 2 Cups Water
- 1 Cup Quinoa uncooked
- 1/3 Pistachios shelled
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 3/4 Cup Reduced-sugar dried cherries roughly chopped
- 1 Cup Reduced-fat feta cheese crumbled
- 1/4 Cup + 2 Tbsp Fresh basil minced
- For the dressing:
- 1/2 Cup Plain Lifeway Kefir
- 4 tsp Honey
- 4 tsp Balsamic vinegar
Instructions
- In a large pot, bring 2 cups of water to a boil. Once boiling, stir in the quinoa. Cover, reduce the heat to low and cook until the moisture is absorbed (about 15 mins.) Once cooked, transfer the quinoa to a large bowl and place it into the refrigerator until cooled.
- While the quinoa cooks, preheat your oven to 400 degrees and line a small baking sheet with parchment paper. Toast the pistachios in the oven until lightly golden brown, about 10-12 mins. Set aside.
- Once the quinoa has cooled, stir in the salt, chopped cherries, crumbled feta cheese and minced basil.
- Roughly chop the toasted pistachios and add them into the salad. Stir until everything is well mixed.
- To make the dressing:
- Stir the kefir and honey together in a medium, microwave- safe bowl. Microwave the mixture until the honey is melted and easily mixes into the kefir, about 30 seconds.
- Stir in the balsamic vinegar.
- Pour the dressing over the salad, mix will and DEVOUR