Cherry Quinoa Salad With Lamb (Printable Version)
Vibrant Mediterranean salad with spiced lamb, sweet cherries, fluffy quinoa and tangy feta in a lemon-herb dressing.
# Ingredient List:
→ 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
→ Herb 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
# Step-by-Step Instructions:
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 fully 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 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 seasoned 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 prepared dressing over the entire salad and toss gently to coat all ingredients evenly. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Serve immediately, garnished with additional herbs and nuts if desired.
# Tips from hearthlykitchen:
01 -
- The way cherry juice mingles with the herb dressing creates this incredible sweet-savory magic that people will ask about all afternoon
- Its one of those rare salads that feels substantial enough for dinner but still light enough for a hot day
- Everything can be prepped ahead, leaving you free to enjoy your guests while the lamb sizzles
02 -
- Overcooked lamb becomes tough and chewy, pulling it from the heat a touch early is always better than going too long
- The salad gets soggy if dressed too early, wait until the very last minute before tossing
- Fresh cherries are non-negotiable here, dried ones turn cloyingly sweet and completely change the dishs character
03 -
- Invest in a cherry pitter if you make this regularly, it saves so much time and keeps the cherries intact better than improvising with a knife
- Toast your nuts in a dry skillet for just a few minutes, the depth of flavor they develop is worth the extra step