Cranberry Quinoa Salad
At Cranberry Learning, we love connecting you not only to the crop, but to the people and science behind it. We’re excited to share a recipe from someone who brings both passion and expertise to the table.
Ahhria Kirkendall, also known as the Cranberry Doctor. Ahhria is a food scientist with a passion for helping people understand how ingredients, like cranberries can support both flavor and balanced nutrition.
This cranberry quinoa salad reflects that philosophy. It’s a fiber-rich dish designed to feel indulgent while supporting balanced nutrition. Made with whole, plant-forward ingredients, it contains just 4g of added sugar per serving (8% DV), leaving plenty of room for your sugar budget throughout the rest of the day. It pairs deliciously with lemon black pepper grilled chicken, or tofu for a plant-based option.
Allergens: Mustard
Prep Time: 35 mins Total Time: 65 minutes-overnight
Ingredients:
1 cup rainbow/tricolor quinoa
1 head of broccoli
1 cup shredded purple cabbage
1 cup shredded carrot
¾ cup dried cranberries
¼ cup honey mustard
Pinch of salt for cooking rainbow quinoa
Directions:
Cook 1 cup of rainbow quinoa to its packaged cooking directions (makes approximately 3 cups of cooked quinoa)
Usually 1 cup quinoa to 1½ cup water with a pinch of salt
Bring to a boil
Lower heat to a simmer and cover pot for 10-15 minutes or until water fully evaporates
Set aside to cool down for at least 15 minutes to overnight in the refrigerator if prepping in advance
Wash all veggies under running water before further handling
For the purple cabbage, discard outer layers then wash
To a medium-sized mixing bowl, add all of the cooked quinoa and veggies as they are prepped:
Remove the very end of broccoli stem to discard the dirty end
Dice broccoli head, with stem included, to small bite sizes
Add diced broccoli to the bowl
Shred a cup’s worth of cabbage and add to the bowl
Unless purchasing shredded carrots, shred a cup’s worth of carrots and add to the bowl
Add dried cranberries to the mixing bowl
Add honey mustard to the mixing bowl
Stir ingredients with a utensil until ingredients are evenly coated with honey mustard
OR if your mixing bowl has a lid, close the bowl with the lid and shake until all ingredients are evenly coated with honey mustard
Serve and top with dried cranberries
Store leftovers in the fridge and serve chilled later
