Cherry Quinoa Salad With Lamb (Print View)
Protein-rich salad with spiced lamb, sweet cherries, quinoa, and zesty herb dressing.
# What You'll Need:
→ Lamb
01 - 14 oz lamb loin or leg, trimmed and sliced into strips
02 - 1 tbsp olive oil
03 - 1 tsp ground cumin
04 - 1 tsp ground coriander
05 - ½ tsp salt
06 - ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
→ Quinoa
07 - 1 cup quinoa, rinsed
08 - 2 cups water
09 - ½ tsp salt
→ Salad Components
10 - 1¼ cups fresh cherries, pitted and halved
11 - 3½ oz baby spinach or arugula
12 - 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
13 - ⅓ cup feta cheese, crumbled
14 - ¼ cup toasted pistachios or almonds, roughly chopped
15 - 2 tbsp fresh mint, chopped
16 - 2 tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
→ Dressing
17 - 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
18 - 1½ tbsp lemon juice
19 - 1 tsp honey
20 - ½ tsp Dijon mustard
21 - Salt and pepper, to taste
# How To Make It:
01 - Combine rinsed quinoa, water, and salt in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 15 minutes until water is absorbed. Remove from heat, fluff with a fork, and allow to cool.
02 - Toss lamb strips with olive oil, ground cumin, coriander, salt, and black pepper in a bowl. Let marinate while quinoa cooks to absorb spices.
03 - Whisk together extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, honey, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper in a small bowl until emulsified.
04 - Heat a skillet or grill pan over medium-high heat. Cook lamb strips for 2–3 minutes per side until desired doneness is reached. Remove from heat and let rest for 5 minutes before slicing.
05 - In a large serving bowl, toss together cooled quinoa, fresh cherries, baby spinach or arugula, sliced red onion, crumbled feta, toasted nuts, mint, and parsley.
06 - Slice rested lamb into bite-sized pieces and add to the salad. Drizzle dressing over the top and toss gently to coat evenly. Adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper if needed.
07 - Serve immediately while ingredients are fresh. Garnish with additional fresh herbs and chopped nuts if desired.
# Expert Hints:
01 -
- The cherries burst in your mouth and balance the rich lamb perfectly
- It comes together in under an hour but looks like you spent all afternoon cooking
02 -
- Letting the lamb rest before slicing keeps all the juices inside instead of on your cutting board
- The salad holds up well for a few hours but the greens are best when dressed right before serving
03 -
- Pit your cherries over a bowl to catch any juice and drizzle it into the dressing
- Leftovers actually taste better the next day once the flavors have had time to mingle