I found this recipe online last year and let me tell you...it is a crowd pleaser. It called for winter wheat berries and since I had NO idea what the heck those were or where to even find them, I decided to go with quinoa instead. Quinoa is super easy to cook with, has a ton of protein and a yummy nutty flavor. I have made this dish for a few events and everyone raved about it. Give it a try and let me know what you think.
Quinoa Salad with Figs & Red Onion
1 1/2 cups Quinoa
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1/3 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons agave
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup dried figs, chopped finely
1/2 medium red onion (about 1/3 pound)
3 large stalks celery
1/4 cup good-quality olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon zest, from 2 lemons
1 cup roasted almonds, roughly chopped
Handful fresh parsley or mint, finely chopped
1 teaspoon flaky sea salt
Freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
Cook quinoa as directed on the package.
While the quinoa is cooking, whisk the rice vinegar, orange juice, and honey together in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and add the raisins and chopped figs. Turn off the heat and let the fruit steep in the juice and vinegar mixture.
Finely dice the red onion; you will end up with between 1 and 1 1/2 cups. Finely dice the celery as well; you will have between 1 1/2 and 2 cups. Mix them in a large bowl.
When the quinoa is cooked, pour into a large bowl with the red onion and celery. Toss with the olive oil and lemon zest. Add the vinegar and juice mixture, and all the fruit, and mix. Toss with the almonds, chopped parsley or mint, and with the salt. Add pepper to taste.
Let the salad stand at room temperature for at least one hour before serving, to allow the flavors mix and soak into the grain. Serve warm or at room temperature.
The salad can also be refrigerated for up to three days.
