We’ve managed to pack a whole lot of good-for-you, colorful ingredients into this one tasty salad, starting with quinoa (protein) and white beans (potassium, fiber), and layered with immunity-boosting fruits and vegetables full of vitamin C and beta-carotene, including tomatoes, bell peppers, and berries. In the winter and spring, make the salad with citrus and grocery store–bought berries; in the summer, nectarines and peaches with blueberries, blackberries, or raspberries make a lovely combination. Add your own garden-grown cherry tomatoes and peppers to the mix too.
Serves 6 to 8
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, more to taste
- 1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup
- 1 (heaping) tablespoon minced fresh ginger
- 2 teaspoons minced fresh garlic
- 1½ teaspoons curry powder
- Kosher salt
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes (halved if small, quartered if large)
- 2 cups diced or sliced peeled firm-ripe nectarines or peaches (about 3 medium fruit) or 2 cups citrus segments (oranges, blood oranges, tangerines, clementines, etc., including any juices)
- 1 cup berries of any kind
- 3/4 cup thinly sliced red, orange, or yellow bell pepper (about one large pepper)
- ½ cup thinly sliced red onion
- 3 cups cooked red or white quinoa (see method below; start with 1 cup dry)
- 1 15.5-ounce can white beans, rinsed and drained
- 1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh herbs (any combination cilantro, mint, and/or parsley)
- 1/2 cup toasted whole almonds (skin-on, chopped) or sliced almonds
1. In a large mixing bowl, combine the olive oil, vinegar, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, lemon zest, honey or maple syrup, ginger, garlic, curry powder, and ½ teaspoon salt. Whisk well.
2. Add the cherry tomatoes, fruit (and any of its juices hanging around), peppers, and onion. Stir gently and let sit for a few minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Add the quinoa, beans, most of the herbs, and ½ teaspoon salt to the bowl. Stir together gently and let sit a few minutes or up to 30 minutes. Taste and add more lemon juice or salt if desired.
4. Just before serving, add half of the almonds to the bowl and mix in. Serve garnished with the remaining herbs and almonds.
To cook quinoa: Ignore the box directions and cook the quinoa pasta style. Bring a pot of water to a boil, rinse the quinoa if it is not pre-rinsed, and add it to the boiling water. In 10 to 12 minutes, the quinoa will be cooked (the white ring around the seeds will expand and slip off of some); taste to check. Drain the quinoa through a fine-meshed strainer but hold on to the cooking pot. Return the strained quinoa to the warm pot and let sit for a few minutes, stirring occasionally. The remaining moisture will steam off from the residual heat of the pot. (Don’t put the pot back on to the heat.)
