Recipe - Pear Quinoa Salad

This quinoa salad is light and flavorful and makes a fabulous low-calorie side dish, or you may want to eat it as your main meal. The nutty flavor of quinoa is enhanced with the fruity vinegar dressing as well as the copped walnuts or pecans.

Serves 6, about 3/4 cup each

Ingredients

• 2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
• 1 cup quinoa (see Tips), rinsed if necessary
• 2 tablespoons walnut oil or canola oil
• 1.5 tablespoons fruity vinegar, such as pear, raspberry or pomegranate
• 1/4 cup snipped fresh chives
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 2 ripe but firm pears, diced
• 1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts or pecans, toasted (see Tips)

Directions

• Bring broth to a boil in a large saucepan. Stir in quinoa, reduce heat to maintain a simmer, cover and cook until the liquid is absorbed and the quinoa has popped (you will see small little rings), about 15 minutes.
• Whisk oil, vinegar, chives, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Add pears and toss to coat.
• Drain any excess liquid from the cooked quinoa, if necessary. Add the quinoa to the pear mixture; toss to combine. Transfer to the refrigerator to cool for about 15 minutes or serve warm. Serve topped with nuts.

Nutrition

(Amount per serving)

Calories: 246
Fat: 13 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Carbohydrates: 28 g
Protein: 7 g

Updated December 29, 2017