Cherry Quinoa Salad With Lamb (Printable)
Protein-rich Mediterranean salad featuring spiced lamb, sweet cherries, and fluffy quinoa with fresh herbs and tangy feta.
# 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
# Directions:
01 - Combine rinsed quinoa, water, and salt in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat, 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, ground coriander, salt, and black pepper in a bowl. Let marinate while the quinoa cooks to absorb the Mediterranean spices.
03 - Whisk together extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, honey, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper in a small bowl until emulsified and smooth.
04 - Heat a skillet or grill pan over medium-high heat. Sear lamb strips for 2–3 minutes per side until cooked to desired doneness. Remove from heat 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 bowl. Pour the dressing over the entire mixture and toss gently to coat evenly. Adjust seasoning if needed. Serve immediately, garnished with additional herbs and nuts if desired.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The way juicy cherries burst against warm spiced lamb creates this incredible sweet-savory dance that surprises everyone who tries it
- It comes together faster than you would think, and the colors alone make you feel like you have your life together
02 -
- Letting the lamb rest for five full minutes prevents all those precious juices from running out onto your cutting board instead of staying in the meat
- Cooling the quinoa completely before assembling keeps the spinach from wilting into something sad and limp
03 -
- Pit your cherries over a bowl to catch any juice and stir that liquid right into your dressing
- Toast your nuts in the same pan you used for the lamb to pick up those spiced leftovers