Cherry Quinoa Salad With Lamb (Printable)
Tender spiced lamb meets juicy cherries and fluffy quinoa in this vibrant Mediterranean-style salad with zesty herb dressing.
# What You'll 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 Make:
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 water is absorbed. Remove from heat, fluff with a fork, and allow to cool completely.
02 - Toss lamb strips with olive oil, ground cumin, coriander, salt, and black pepper in a bowl. Let marinate at room temperature while quinoa cooks to allow spices to penetrate the meat.
03 - Whisk together extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, honey, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper in a small bowl until emulsified. Set aside until ready to serve.
04 - Heat a skillet or grill pan over medium-high heat. Cook marinated lamb strips for 2 to 3 minutes per side until desired doneness is reached. Transfer to a cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes before slicing into bite-sized pieces.
05 - In a large serving bowl, combine cooled quinoa, fresh cherries, baby spinach or arugula, sliced red onion, crumbled feta, toasted nuts, fresh mint, and parsley.
06 - Add sliced lamb to the salad mixture. Drizzle with prepared dressing and toss gently to coat all ingredients evenly. Adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper if needed. Serve immediately, optionally garnished with extra herbs and nuts.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The sweetness of cherries against spiced lamb will make you wonder why you never paired them before.
- Quinoa soaks up the dressing like a sponge, making every bite flavorful.
02 -
- Let the lamb rest after cooking or all those juices will end up on your cutting board instead of in the salad.
- Cool the quinoa completely before assembling or the spinach will wilt into sadness.
03 -
- Toast the nuts in a dry pan for three minutes and watch them closely, they go from golden to burnt in seconds.
- Pit cherries with a paperclip or chopstick if you lack a proper pitter.