Cherry Pistachio Quinoa Salad

Cherries are the first thing I see when I walk into the grocery story these days.  I can’t help but grab a bag and put them in my cart.  Fresh cherries are one of my favorite things to eat in the summer months.  Do you know pairs great with cherries?  Pistachios pair great with cherries which is another favorite of mine!  I thought, why not combine these two with quinoa and some herbs and make a salad.  That’s how this beautiful cherry pistachio quinoa salad was created.

What You’ll Need

• Quinoa
• Cherries
• Pistachios
• Herbs
• Dijon
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Lemon
• Feta cheese (optional)

FAQs

1. What kind of quinoa should I use?
   • I use organic white quinoa
2. Can I make this with dried cherries?
   • If you want to make this salad outside the summer months, you can make it with dried cherries
3. Can I use roasted salted pistachios?
   • I choose to use raw unsalted pistachios because of their nutrient density.  If you want to use roasted salted pistachios, I’ll never know.
4. Can I use dry herbs instead of fresh?
   • I would not recommend this because fresh herbs have so much more flavor!

How to Make Cherry Pistachio Quinoa Salad

Make the quinoa first.  Bring 1 cup of water to a boil.  Add in a pinch of salt and 1/2 cup quinoa.  Reduce heat to low/medium and cook 15 minutes or until the quinoa absorbs all the water.  Transfer to a mixing bowl and set in the refrigerator to cool.

While the quinoa is cooling, make the dressing. Mix all ingredients into a bowl and whisk them together.  Set the dressing aside.  You’ll want to use good quality extra virgin olive oil.  I personally only use THIS olive oil.  It’s organic, single sourced and comes from one family’s grove of olive trees in Greece.  You can use code FERRA10 to get 10% off your order.

Chop 1/2 cup pitted cherries, 3 tablespoons raw unsalted pistachios, the dill and parsley.  After the quinoa is cooled, mix in the cherries, pistachios, dill, parsley and dressing.  Mix together and it’s ready to eat.

Feta cheese is a nice addition to this salad.  If you want to add it in, stir it in at the end.

I serve this with a salmon filet.  The dijon mustard, cherries and dill pair great with salmon.

You’ll Also Love…

• Asian Zoodle Salad
• Salmon/Sweet Potato Patties

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