Cherry Quinoa Salad With Lamb (Printable)
Protein-rich Mediterranean salad featuring spiced lamb, sweet cherries, fluffy quinoa, and tangy feta with fresh herbs.
# What You 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
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 liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat, fluff with a fork, and let cool completely.
02 - Toss lamb strips with olive oil, cumin, coriander, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Allow to marinate while quinoa cooks.
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. Transfer to a cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes.
05 - Place cooled quinoa, cherries, spinach or arugula, red onion, feta, pistachios, mint, and parsley in a large mixing bowl.
06 - Cut rested lamb into bite-sized pieces and add to the salad mixture.
07 - Pour dressing over salad and toss gently to coat evenly. Adjust seasoning if needed. Serve immediately, garnished with additional herbs and nuts if desired.
# Expert Suggestions:
01 -
- The sweet cherries against the savory lamb creates this incredible balance that keeps every bite interesting
- You can make most of it ahead and just sear the lamb right before serving
02 -
- Letting the lamb rest for a full 5 minutes keeps it juicy, but dont skip the searing step because thats where all the flavor develops
- The quinoa needs to cool completely before assembling, otherwise it wilts the herbs and melts the feta too much
03 -
- Dont crowd the pan when searing the lamb or it will steam instead of getting that gorgeous caramelized crust
- Pitting cherries with a paperclip bent open is faster and less messy than using a knife