Step 1: Cooking the Quinoa
- 1/4 cup black quinoa
- 1/2 cup light stock (or water)
- pinch of kosher salt
In a small pot, bring the stock, quinoa and salt to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cover with a lid. Let cook for 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and let rest for about 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork and set aside to cool.
Step 2: Preparing & Assembling the Salad
- 1/2 cup sliced, toasted almonds
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 3 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp grapeseed oil
- kosher salt (to taste)
- 4 cups baby spinach
- 1 pomegranate
- 4 tsp honey
- 1/2 cup feta cheese
- red onion slices (to taste)
- freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
Note: If the almonds aren’t toasted, refer to the drill down on How to Roast / Toast Nuts.
Prepare the vinaigrette. In a small jar, mix the Dijon mustard and honey together. Add the red wine vinegar, olive oil and grapeseed oil. Cover and shake to emulsify. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside.
Wash and spin the spinach dry. Remove the seeds from the pomegranate. Crumble the feta cheese. Depending on how much you like, cut the red onion vertically into thin slices. Set everything aside.
Divide the spinach among 4 large plates or 6 small ones. Sprinkle each salad with the onion slices, pomegranate seeds, toasted almonds, feta and quinoa. Drizzle the dressing over each salad and serve.