All Arminda

I follow several different vegan bloggers, else how would I ever know what to fix in my own yum kitchen? One of my favorites is Barb over at That Was Vegan. She creates and recreates some of the tastiest dishes, and today’s selection is equally as yummy as everything else I’ve made of hers.

Since the weekend is upon us, this easy salad is quick to prepare, and everyone will love it. If you’ve got a cookout to attend, then this dish will be a pleaser. If it were me, I’d go ahead and reserve some in a dish at home because there won’t be any leftovers after your party.

If you’d like to see Barb’s original recipe, click here, but I only made a few (very) minor adjustments. Here’s my approach (and opinion) about salad measurements: are they really that important? Not when it comes to the veggies and the fruit and the herbs. Onions? Great – add as many as look about right to you, which in my case was the entire bunch. Celery? Who doesn’t love crunch? I’m not going to measure exactly 1/2 cup, which is why I usually end up with more like a whole cup (if I were measuring), and also why I always seem to need a bigger bowl than I anticipated at the beginning. Cranberries and raisins? Just dump until it looks about right relative to your other ingredients. Cilantro? Guilty for chopping and adding the ENTIRE bunch. Nuts? What makes you feel good? Go with that much.

Oh, and need gluten-free? Quinoa’s got your back on that one.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup dried quinoa, prepared per package instructions
• 2 apples, chopped (but not peeled)
• 3/4 T white vinegar
• 2-3 T fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 bunch green onions, chopped
• 1/2 cup celery, chopped
• 3/4 cup mix of dried cranberries and regular raisins
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 2 T olive oil
• Sea salt as needed
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

DIRECTIONS

1. Prepare your quinoa, per package instructions, then set aside to cool.
2. In a lidded bowl, mix your chopped apples with the vinegar and lemon juice. Make sure there’s enough liquid to coat the apples, but not enough to cover them. Put the lid on, shake lightly (you don’t want to bruise the apples), and set in the fridge.
3. In a large bowl mix the cooled quinoa with the onions, celery, cranberries, chili powder and oil.  Taste, then add salt as needed.
4. You can now mix the apples and the vinegar/juice back in with the salad. The salad will keep for days in the fridge, but don’t add the cilantro and nuts until you’re about to serve it for the first time.