Quinoa Crazy Healthy Salad

Why do I call this salad crazy? For two reasons: firstly, it’s a combo of whatever happens to be in your fridge at the time (sort of a salad version of my kitchen sink soup), and secondly, it’s a combination of sweet and savoury that somehow just…works, despite the crazy mix of ingredients. Plus, QUINOA! A complete protein in gluten-free form.

There’s dried fruit and fresh fruit in this salad for the sweetness, and then onion, walnuts, cucumber, and carrot for a savoury crunch. There’s honey in the dressing, but balanced out with red wine vinegar.

And the magical ingredient that pulls it all together? Sesame oil! Not sure why, but somehow it melds the sweet and savoury into one mouth-puckeringly good salad.

Quinoa Crazy Healthy Salad

• 1 c. cooked quinoa
• 1/4 c. walnuts, finely chopped
• 1/4 c. dried cranberries, chopped
• 1 tbsp. finely chopped green onion
• 1/4 c. carrot, grated
• 1/4 c. cucumber, chopped
• 1/4 c. celery, chopped
• 1/2 Red Delicious apple, chopped into small pieces
• 1/2 c. sliced or chopped tomato (I used baby ones)

Chop up the walnuts, cranberries, green onion, cucumber, celery, tomato, and apple. Grate the carrot. Toss all together with cooked quinoa.

Dressing

• 1tbsp. honey
• scant 1/4 c. olive oil
• scant 1/4 c. red wine vinegar
• 1/2 tsp. sesame oil
• sprinkle of garlic powder

Whisk dressing ingredients together. Drizzle over salad and mix. Enjoy!