Make this gluten-free spinach quinoa salad with cranberries and pears for a healthy lunch or a side dish. Full of harvest fruit and nuts and tossed with Apple Cider Vinaigrette.
Cook quinoa in water and salt, following your package directions. Once cooked, spread it out on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and cool completely.
While it's cooking, combine the Apple Cider Vinaigrette ingredients and set aside to allow the flavours to blend.
Slice pears and toss with lemon juice to prevent browning.
Chop dried apricots and green onions.
Toast thinly sliced almonds and prepare Pumpkin Spice Pecans.
In a medium bowl, combine quinoa, dried apricots, dried cranberries, sliced pears, and green onions with the Apple Cider Vinaigrette, adding a little of the vinaigrette at a time, just until moistened. (You may not need all the vinaigrette.)
Add baby spinach to a salad bowl, or to individual salad plates and top with the quinoa salad mix.
Garnish with toasted flaked almonds and Pumpkin Spice Pecans just before serving.
Notes
* to toast almonds, heat oven to 400°F, spread almonds on a baking sheet and toast for 5 to 10 minutes, watching very carefully. Remove from oven when they just start to brown, as they will continue to brown on the sheet.Alternatively, heat a small skillet on the stovetop, and heat almonds until they begin to brown. Remove promptly and cool before adding to the salad.