Arugula Quinoa Salad with Grilled Peaches
The savory-sweet mashup of quinoa, goat cheese and grilled peaches makes this dish way more satisfying than your average salad.
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients
For Salad
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 peaches peeled, pitted and sliced into wedges
- 1½ cups cooked quinoa see notes for cooking tips
- 2 cups arugula
- ½ cup goat cheese
- ¼ cup sliced or slivered almonds
For Vinaigrette:
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar or lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ⅛ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon cracked black pepper
Instructions
Grill Peaches:
- Using a grill pan over high heat or an outdoor grill, place peach slices directly onto the grates and grill about 2 minutes per side or until you can see grill marks. Set aside.
- Meanwhile, make quinoa: Cook quinoa according to package directions. {See notes.} Set aside to cool slightly when done.
Make Vinaigrette:
- Whisk together all vinaigrette ingredients in a small bowl. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, gently combine all the ingredients, then drizzle with vinaigrette and toss to coat.
Notes
How to Cook Quinoa on the Stovetop: Combine quinoa, water and a pinch of salt in a pot and bring to a boil over high heat. (1 ¾ cups water per cup of dry quinoa) Once it begins to boil, cover the pot with a lid and reduce the heat to medium-low, allowing it to simmer until most of the water is absorbed. Once most of the water is gone, reduce the heat to low and allow the quinoa to steam until it is completely tender.
Variations
- Add a protein like chicken, shrimp or grilled sausage.
- Try other types of cheeses such as crumbled feta or brie.
- Experiment with grilling other fruit! Try plums, pineapple, nectarines, cantaloupe, or watermelon.
- Use chopped, fresh spinach instead or arugula.
- Dairy-free/Vegan: Omit goat cheese or use a plant-based vegan cheese in its place. Use agave or date syrup instead of honey.