Home RecipesChristmas recipes Salad with Strawberries and Quinoa Crisp

Salad with Strawberries and Quinoa Crisp

by Lorena

A nice salad is a must-have on a Christmas table. To be honest, this salad with strawberries and quinoa crisp is perfect for any time of the year. Can you believe that I used to hate salads with fruits? I love them now! They make salads very special and this one with raspberries is sooo yummy.

The honey mustard dressing is delicious, I love that it has that sweet taste because it brings out the sweetness in the strawberries. If you want to see other options for dressings, check out my 10 dressings to liven up your salads post. Having said that, what I like the most about this salad is the quinoa and parmesan cheese crisp. The result is reaaaally crispy and the parmesan cheese adds a nice flavour. First, we cook the quinoa, then we mix it with the parmesan cheese and oil and goes into the oven until golden. As a matter of fact, I’ve made crispy quinoa before a long time ago when I made my 5 crunchy salad toppings. The difference is that the old version is quinoa only – no cheese. It’s also a really good alternative if you prefer it.

Another thing you can add to this salad is avocado. I know many of you are avo-lovers, so add it if you like, lol! Also, if you prefer, you can use blueberries instead of strawberries. Another interesting addition could be to add a few basil leaves to your leaves for an extra fresh touch.


I love the colours in this salad with strawberries. It is extremely tempting and invites you to have some. In a large table with several dishes, the salad is usually ignored. In this case, that is just not possible; it demands attention! If you want more ideas like this, you’re invited to check out my salad section. We all need a bit of inspiration to make fun and interesting salads.


salad with strawberries

Salad with Strawberries and Quinoa Crisp

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Course: Main, Salad
Cuisine: Low
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 55 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes
Servings: 6 people
Author: Lorena Salinas from Cravings Journal

Ingredients

For the quinoa crisp

  • ½ cup quinoa washed
  • ½ + ⅛ cup boiling water
  • 30 g parmesan cheese finely grated (it's important that it's fine!)
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1 tbsp olive oil

For the honey mustard dressing

  • 6 tbsp mayonnaise it can be a light version
  • ¾ tbsp yellow mustard
  • ½ tbsp Dijon mustard
  • tbsp honey
  • Juice from ½ a lemon
  • Salt and pepper

For the salad

  • 150 g mixed leaves
  • 100 g Serrano ham or prosciutto cut in strips
  • 30 g sliced almonds toasted
  • 200 g strawberries sliced

Instructions

For the quinoa crisp

  • Place the quinoa in a small pot with the water and make it break into a bowl over medium heat.
  • Put a lid on the pot and reduce the heat to a minimum. Let it cook until it's dry, about 15 minutes.
  • Remove the quinoa from the pot and let it cool down completely.
  • Add the olive oil, parmesan cheese, salt and pepper and mix.
  • Pour the mix onto a baking tray lined with baking paper. Place in a preheated oven at 180°C / 350°F for 30-50min. Mix the quinoa every 10 minutes.
  • Once you see that it starts to become golden, you can remove the paper, it won't stick anymore. From this point on, check every 5 minutes because it goes from golden to burnt in a heartbeat.
  • Remove from the oven and let it cool down completely. If you have large bunches of quinoa, separate them by crushing them with the back of a fork.

For the honey mustard dressing

  • Place all the ingredients except the water in a bowl and mix with a whisk.
  • Adjust the texture by adding water until it looks like a dressing.
  • Taste the dressing and adjust the salt and pepper.

For the salad

  • Serve all the ingredients for the salad with the dressing.
Tried this recipe?Mention @CravingsJournal or tag #RecipeCJ!

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