Cherry Quinoa Salad With Lamb (Printable)
Protein-rich Mediterranean salad with spiced tender lamb, fresh cherries, quinoa, and tangy feta in zesty dressing.
# 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 Components
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:
01 - Combine rinsed quinoa, water, and salt in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, then cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 15 minutes until liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat, fluff with a fork, and allow to cool completely.
02 - Toss lamb strips with olive oil, ground cumin, ground coriander, salt, and black pepper in a mixing bowl. Let marinate at room temperature while quinoa cooks.
03 - Whisk together extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, honey, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper in a small bowl until emulsified. Set aside until assembly.
04 - Heat a skillet or grill pan over medium-high heat. Add seasoned lamb strips and cook for 2–3 minutes per side until desired doneness is reached. Transfer to a cutting board and rest for 5 minutes before slicing into bite-sized pieces.
05 - Combine cooled quinoa, pitted cherries, baby spinach or arugula, sliced red onion, crumbled feta cheese, toasted pistachios or almonds, fresh mint, and flat-leaf parsley in a large mixing bowl.
06 - Add sliced lamb to the salad bowl. Drizzle dressing evenly over the entire salad and toss gently to coat all ingredients. Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper if needed. Serve immediately, optionally garnished with extra herbs and nuts.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The way sweet cherries and salty feta play together will make your taste buds do a happy dance
- Its one of those rare salads that actually fills you up and keeps you satisfied for hours
02 -
- Don't skip the resting time for the lamb, otherwise all those delicious juices end up on your cutting board instead of in your salad
- The salad actually gets better after 15 minutes of sitting, letting the flavors mingle and the quinoa soak up the dressing
03 -
- Pit your cherries with a paper clip bent open if you don't have a cherry pitter, it works surprisingly well and saves you from buying another single-purpose gadget
- Use leftover cold quinoa from meal prep, the slightly drier texture actually works better than freshly cooked in this salad