Quinoa salad with cherries and pistachios is the best quinoa salad recipe I have ever made! It is a new entry, and you all will love it!

Except for the fact that it is OH.MY.GOODNESS, it is also an easy quinoa salad recipe you can prepare even in the tiniest kitchen in the world. I’m no wrong, and I know it.

This cold summer salad requires no cooking: no pan, no oven, no heat. Ok, let’s not forget the fact that you need to have cooked quinoa. But if you already have some left in the fridge, please use it and create this miracle!

Well, as salads allow you to combine different textures and tastes in a single bowl, they remain the best choice for a quick and healthy meal. That’s why I love my summerish raw vegan green salad, my pear and gorgonzola salad (so chic!), another hydrating mixed green salad, and so many others I will post later on the blog.

This quinoa salad with cherries and pistachios is a five-star quinoa salad recipe and lets you have so much trial and error when it comes to the presentation because all of them WILL still look vibrant and colorful.

Anyways I have prepared three different presentations for you. Stay tuned; there is more!

Quinoa Salad With Cherries and Pistachios To Lick Your Fingers

Or, in other words, ingredients:

• Quinoa. Any type of quinoa is welcome. I had white quinoa and that is what I used. But other types of quinoa will not make a difference in taste.

By the way, did you know quinoa is super healthy? I knew it was rich in fiber and gluten-free, but I did not realize so many things! Make sure you include it more in your diet.

• Cherries. I always try to include seasonal fruit and veggies in everything I cook, and cherry is one main ingredient (because it is in season) in this easy quinoa salad recipe. It adds a natural juice to the salad and it incorporates a lovely sweetness.

Did you know it was NOT true that George Washington did cut a cherry tree? LOL, that’s funny! I always thought it was a real story.

• I used parsley and chives for adding a green sprinkle on the dish. Chop them very finely.
• This quinoa salad dressing recipe is honestly a basic olive oil and balsamic vinegar with a splash of honey, which allows you to enjoy a back to basics meal and a fully packed one. Don’t think too much of ‘what it could have been’ because the easier to make it, the fresher it will taste.
• Last but not least, the king of nuts: pistachio. Pistachios go very well with sweets, therefore paring it with cherries becomes a perfect combo.

Compose the plate like a pro!

Use a ring mold. In the first layer, mix quinoa and chives. In the second layer, put the halved cherries in a circular shape. Add chopped pistachios in the middle and around the plate.

Cooked Or Uncooked Quinoa?

The answer to every quinoa salad is BOTH!

This quinoa salad with cherries and pistachios is made with cooked quinoa. Frankly, I never used uncooked quinoa in any of my recipes because I am skeptical about how unhulled the seeds are.

I will quote this beneficial information I found earlier.

Steve Meyerowitz, a cookbook author and raw food advocate who has been featured on PBS and the Food Network, and in “Prevention” magazine, advises against consuming quinoa as a raw sprout. Meyerowitz says that quinoa sprouts are prone to rot and that the health dangers posed by eating molded sprouts outweighs the benefits of eating quinoa raw. Before adding uncooked quinoa to your diet, speak to your doctor or an experienced nutritionist about the possible advantages and drawbacks.

Michelle Kerns from healthyeating.sfgate.com

It is equally nutritious in sprout form, but cooking quinoa only takes 10-15 minutes, and it is safer this way. It is also easier and quicker to begin exploring different recipes with it.

Should Quinoa Salad Be Hot Or Cold?

As a cook, I say cold.

If you choose to make a salad with quinoa, you should make it cold.

If you want it warm, make sure the other ingredients are warm too. You can not make a cold salad when one of the ingredients is warm.

As it is neutral in taste, there are many versatile ways to include it in your diet, even as a soup. Check out my gluten-free soup packed in vegetables, grains, and seeds (including quinoa).

While cold quinoa is a comforting summer meal, it can turn into a perfect takeaway lunch too. I mean, it is a proper hostess! All the ingredients enhance their flavor when soaked in quinoa.

My quinoa salad with cherries and pistachios is packed with proteins, vitamins and it is so refreshing and good-looking . Also, look how gourmet it can also be!

Easy Tips For A Perfect Quinoa Salad

1. For a quinoa salad use cold quinoa.
2. You already know the dressing is to be added right before serving. But keep this rule in mind twice for quinoa salads.
3. Not as much dressing as in other salads. The other ingredients in a quinoa salad have their own liquid and each of them have a strong flavor. Make sure to not over-mix.
4. Cook less than the timing set in the package. Cooking it (for example) for 8 minutes instead of 15 minutes, and than drying it well, will make sure quinoa will still be crunchy and last longer in the fridge.
5. Be creative. You can serve it in a simple bowl, compose a ring mold like I have done in the flat black plate or dare to use a fine glass of wine (last picture).

Last but not least. Please let me know if this post inspired you to get up, open your fridge and start cooking.

Quinoa Salad With Cherries And Pistachios

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• Author: Nejona
• Total Time: 18 minutes
• Yield: 4

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Ingredients

Units USM

• 1 cup quinoa (white quinoa)
• 1 cup cherries
• 1/3 cup chives (finely chopped)
• 1/3 cup parsley (finely chopped)
• 1/2 cup pistachios

For the dressing

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 tbsp creamy balsamic vinegar
• 1/8 tbsp honey

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Instructions

1. Wash all the ingredients in running water.
   
2. Boil the quinoa for 8 minutes.
3. Drain the quinoa and spread it on a parchment paper.
4. Finely chop the chives and parsley.
   
5. Remove the seeds from the cherries and then cut them in half.
6. Remove pistachios husks. ⅓ crunch it, ⅓ finely chop it and ⅓ leave it unhusked but whole.
7. Make sure your quinoa is very well dried and then mix it with parsley and chives.
8. Add cherries and pistachios at the end.

For the dressing

1. Simply mix the ingredients in a jar and shake well until they dissolve.
   
2. Add the dressing right before starting to eat.
   

• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 8 minutes
• Category: Appetizer, Salad, Side Dish
• Cuisine: Mediterranean

Keywords: gluten free salad, quinoa salad, vegan salad

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