Quinoa Cranberry Salad

I was never a big fan of quinoa, its bitterness and the weird texture.. but a few years ago when I was on a mission to give every unfamiliar food a fair chance, I came across this recipe, which made me completely change my mind about this seed.

Yep, quinoa is a seed (and is gluten free) that belongs to the same family as beets, spinach and Swiss chard. It is very high in protein, magnesium, potassium, zinc and iron (source); and has more fiber than most ‘real’ grains (source). This article is very informative, if you want to learn more about its history and health benefits.

There is a lot of stuff on the internet about phytic acid, which is also called an anti-nutrient, because it binds to some minerals in our digestive systems not allowing them to be absorbed. While phytic acid is a real thing, and it does affect some people, mostly vegetarians and people with compromised immune system, the people who talk about its dangers often disregard the effect of phytase, enzyme that breaks down phytic acid. Quinoa happens to be high in phytase making it an easily digestible food (source).

There is evidence that sprouting quinoa for three days increases its already high nutritional content (source), but there is not much info about sprouting effect on its phytic acid reduction. I don’t bother sprouting it. I feel that cooking it in homemade bone broth makes it very nutritious, and since my family consumes a lot of milk, butter and meat, I’m not concerned about mineral deficiencies whatsoever.

This recipe is absolutely delicious, you can serve it both warm or cold, I don’t really know which way I prefer. It looks very festive and always gets attention for its good looks. I made it countless times for my family and to take to parties, and I haven’t come across a single person who didn’t like it.

I add pomegranate seeds in the winter, when they are available, and cilantro/parsley if I have them on hand for other recipes. Dried cranberries and fresh pomegranate seeds go really well together, chewy and crunchy, yum.

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Quinoa Cranberry Salad

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time20 minutes mins

Servings: 6

Calories: 260kcal

Ingredients

• 1 cup white quinoa
• 2 cups homemade bone broth or water
• 1/2 cup finely chopped celery 1 large stick
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries finely chopped
• 1/2 cup pecans toasted
• 3 tablespoons chives, or green onions finely chopped
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

OPTIONAL

• 1/2 cup pomegranate seeds
• 1/4 cup cilantro or parsley chopped

Instructions

• Rinse quinoa in a fine strainer really well, even if it says 'pre-washed'. Get your fingers in it, and gently rub it under running water for a few minutes. It really helps get rid of the bitterness.
• Bring quinoa and bone broth to boil, then simmer until the grains absorb all the moisture, about 15 minutes.
• When done cooking, let quinoa sit covered for 10 minutes, then add the remaining ingredients, and mix everything well.
• You can eat it right away, still warm, or cool before serving.

Nutrition

Calories: 260kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 39mg | Potassium: 247mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 103IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 22mg | Iron: 2mg