Hi guys! Hope you had a nice weekend. Ours was a little hectic (but what’s new!?) We had another charity dinner party at our house on Friday night. It was a really fun group, and I really enjoyed having everyone. I was telling Pete that I actually like to do these kind of dinners (think 5 courses) occasionally just to make sure I’ve still got it. I think I’ve still got it.
Plus I love to share all of my insane Christmas decorating with others. I can’t help it- I just eat this season up.
We also had Pia and Coco’s last Cinderella performances, so the storm of that has settled for a while. I think I am just really looking forward to trying to enjoy and soak up the next few weeks with the family and hopefully a few less obligations.
So I am starting to think ahead not only to Christmas Dinner, but to a bunch of dinners that we have planned with friends and family over the next 2 weeks. I love to be able to bring a dish to those dinners that I am not throwing. Not only is it polite to contribute, but then I can be assured that there is something I will for sure be able to eat without troubling the host to be making me special food. This Christmas Quinoa Salad is just that kind of thing.
Fluffy Quinoa, sweet oranges and pomegranate seeds, crunchy pistachios and salty bacon make for a pretty incredible and flavorful combination and a perfect side dish for pretty much any meal! Plus, it is so pretty and festive looking that it feels totally special and as though t deserves spot on a Holiday table.
I have few more delicious holiday recipes coming this week, and a Holiday Decoration Tour again! Stay tuned…
Recipe: Christmas Quinoa Salad
Ingredients
- • 2 cups Quinoa
- • 1 1/2 cup water
- • ½ cup white wine
- • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- • kosher salt to taste
- • 1 large shallot, minced
- • ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- • ¼ cup olive oil
- • 2 tablespoons orange juice
- • 1 orange, sectioned
- • ½ cup toasted pistachio’s rough chopped
- • ¼ cup dried cranberries
- 4 pieces crispy bacon, crumbled
- • 1 cup pomegranate seeds
- • ½ cup chopped fresh parsley
- • kosher salt to taste
Instructions
1. In a medium pot, combine the water and the white wine, and then add the rinsed and drained quinoa and the salt. Whisk everything together and heat over medium heat until lightly simmering.
2. Turn the heat to low and put a lid on the pot. Let simmer on low heat for 15 minutes. Then turn the heat off and remove the pot from the stove and let it sit another 10-15 minutes.
3. Remove the lid and fluff the quinoa with a fork and set aside to cool
4. In a small bowl combine the shallots, vinegar and olive oil and orange juice and whisk together.
5. In a large bowl combine the cooled quinoa and the olive oil mixture, tossing to coat the quinoa. Season to taste with Kosher salt
6. Gently fold in the oranges, pomegranates, pistachios, dried cranberries crumbled bacon and fresh parsley. Season with kosher salt and transfer to a serving platter.
Preparation time: 15 minute(s)
Cooking time: 30 minute(s)
Number of servings (yield): 8
Hi, Heather. I would love to make this for Christmas, but there are several items in the description, recipe, and directions. There is no Zucchinni or bacon in the ingredients and no instructions on what to do with them! I can see that you changed the recipe to make it more festive, but I want to get it right :). Thanks!
Looks yummy, but some of the ingredients are different from those mentioned in the instructions i.e. zucchini rounds, walnut and mint. Perhaps a typo?
I think you got two different recipes mixed up in the Christmas quinoa salad recipe.
Wait, what? Walnuts and zucchini? Please give measurements for these ingredients as I plan to make this GORGEOUS salad this week! (Please don’t say ‘one medium zucchini’ –I think that is the vaguest measurement in the world! Give us an extra clue on how much that is if you need to say that!) So beautiful!
Wait again! Tags say bacon! There is a bacon option? Woot woot!
hmmm… looks like we have a couple of recipes jumbled up. 🙂
Wendy, Christine, Nancy, Betsy, Cindy and everyone! There was a major recipe jumble!!!! All fixed up now!
Such a pretty salad!
Can’t wait for your holiday decoration tour! I’ve thought of doing the types of charity dinner events like you’ve had, but I have to say I’m not sure I’m up for the challenge. I imagine people’s expectations are pretty high! I wouldn’t want to disappoint anyone. Perhaps when our new farmhouse is done, we can convince people to come out to the country for an elegant dinner.
I just love this season too – so much energy, good cheer and fun times. You’ll have to post some of your Christmas decorations (I’m so curious!).
The food looks great as always, full of flavor and texture-love.
I just love how colourful this salad is. Looks awesome!
As always Heather, you make such gorgeous food!!!
So vibrant and colourful! Just what the season should be.
Also: dinner at your house? On my bucket list. 😉
This salad looks gorgeous! So many beautiful colors and I love the combination of pomegranate, citrus, and pistachio!
This is such a beautiful holiday salad!!!
Omg – you are like superwoman for hosting so many dinner parties and taking care of a family and writing a 2nd cookbook! how do you do it?! I love that you called this Christmas quinoa salad! It’s so vibrant and gorgeous!!
This might just be our Christmas salad..checking with the hostess:)
Oh wonderful Monique! I hope you enjoy it!
It was our Christmas salad:)
Gorgeous..AND delicious!
Thank you!
Can this salad be made one day ahead of serving it?
I think I must have misunderstood something here. I’m making this now and the quinoa didn’t cook at all with that amount of liquid…. slowly adding more to see how it goes, but any advice?
Maggie- I am SO sorry- I have no idea how that happened. You are totally correct- it should absolutely be 1 1/2 cups water since I like a drier texture quinoa. I changed that in the recipe and my apologies- I really hope that it cooked well when you added the water.
I always do my Quinoa in the rice cooker water up to first pointer finger From top of Quinoa works every timei
Pistachios in an allergen-free recipe?
Not everyone is allergic to pistachios Lisa. If you are, just omit them.