Potluck Recipe #12: Apricot Almond Quinoa Salad with Orange Vinaigrette

This tasty salad is abuzz with bright flavors, perfect for spring potlucks.

Make up your own amounts for the quinoa salad to suit your taste and batch size. The vinaigrette makes enough for 4-6 servings.


Apricot Almond Quinoa Salad with Orange Vinaigrette

adapted from a recipe by Today I Cooked


Vinaigrette:

zest of 2 oranges
juice of 2 small oranges or 1 large orange
2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp. honey
1 clove garlic, peeled
3/4 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil


1. In a blender, combine orange zest, orange juice, balsamic vinegar, honey, garlic, salt, and pepper. Blend until smooth. With the blender running, add olive oil in a steady stream until combined. Put in refrigerator.


Salad:

dried apricots
dried cherries
quinoa
shallots
slivered almonds
olive oil
sea salt
white pepper

spinach
feta or other sharp cheese


2. Soak dried apricots and dried cherries in water for 1-2 hours. While soaking, rinse and cook quinoa.

3. Thinly slice shallots and add to a skillet with almonds and a bit of olive oil, sea salt and white pepper. Cook until shallots are translucent and almonds are fragrant.

4. Drain and slice apricots and cherries. Add to quinoa, along with nut/shallot mixture.

5. Dress quinoa salad with vinaigrette. Serve on a bed of spinach along with a sharp cheese, like feta.