Cranberry And Cilantro Quinoa Salad

There once was a saying that a great salad is not only healthy meals, but is colorful as well. Have you ever noticed that there are no garden salads, or any salads for that matter, that is comprised of only one color? All salads I have ever seen and tasted is a combination of a variety of fruits, vegetables, leaves, and even eggs. In this write-up, we would be looking into cranberry and cilantro quinoa salad. The best quinoa recipes. 

Now, a lot of people are familiar with cranberries. They are very popular, and cranberry juice is particularly helpful to people with urinary tract problems - the acidity in its juice help fight off the bacteria and infection in your urinary tract. Cranberries are also rich in antioxidants. It is a great way to detoxify your body, decreasing your chances of acquiring cancer and giving you healthy, beautiful skin.

Cilantro is an herb that is both famous and infamous. In Europe, and in some areas of the Western world, people could not stomach the smell of cilantro. In fact, Julia Child stated in an interview once that she hated cilantro (or coriander). She never wanted to see a single piece of cilantro in her dish. However, people in Asia are huge fans of cilantro. No matter where the fan base though, cilantro lends an aromatic nature to any dish. Thai dishes, in particular, use a lot of cilantro when cooking.

Quinoa is a wonderful cereal grain that could be used as a substitute for rice any day. It is more flavorful than your usual plain, white rice, and had an oatmeal-like texture to it. To some, it may be an acquired taste, but there are others who fall in love with it right away. Quinoa is also a great source for protein, so essentially, it is a rice and meat substitute!

For cranberry and cilantro quinoa salad, it is very simple. Unlike other recipes though, this is serve chilled. Your first step would be to cook your quinoa by steaming it for 10-15 minutes. Once cooked, chill inside the fridge. As soon as it is cold enough, mix in your dried cranberries, bell pepper, onions, etc. For added texture, you could also add in roasted almonds, cashew nuts, or peanuts. I personally prefer cashew nuts, though. This would be a great recipe to use if you have leftover quinoa. You could also keep it chilled if there are leftovers, and serve cold the next day!