Quinoa Cranberry Pecan Arugula Salad with a super easy Balsamic Vinegar Dressing!

I’m always looking for new salad ideas. I like salads that are quick and easy to make, so I can just prepare them and take them on the go. Lately I’ve been packing my salads in a tupperware container and bringing it to the beach for a little picnic lunch. This salad is perfect for this.

Here’s what I love about this salad:

-It’s light and refreshing.

-It works great as a meal or as a side.

-The bitterness of the Arugula is offset by the sweet Cranberries, I guess you could say it’s Bittersweet. 🙂

-Every bite is packed with protein from the Quinoa goodness.

-The dressing for this is so easy to make, honestly I’m never buying salad dressing from the store anymore.

-It’s super duper addicting…seriously after I made this batch I had to go to the store and get more to make. Now I’m eating it for my lunches everyday. 🙂

You can mix this up a bit, the second time I made it I used sliced almonds and dried cranberries.

For a super easy home made Balsamic Vinaigrette dressing, try the recipe I made for it here —–> Balsamic Vinaigrette

It’s super delicious with this salad and is 100% better than any store bought dressing!

If you try this, let me know what you think! Just leave a comment below and rate it – it’s really helpful for me and other readers. 🙂 And don’t forget to take a picture and Hashtag it #Tastefulventure on Instagram so I can see!

Cheers!

Quinoa Cranberry Pecan Arugula Salad

• Author: Tastefulventure
• Prep Time: 5 mins
• Cook Time: 15 mins
• Total Time: 20 mins
• Yield: 4-6 1x
• Category: Salad
• Cuisine: Healthy

Scale 1x2x3x

Ingredients

• 1/2 a container of Baby Arugula, about 2.5 oz
• 2 cups cooked Quinoa
• 1 3oz package Pecan and Cranberry salad topper
• For the Dressing;
• 1/4 cup Olive Oil
• 2 Tbs Balsamic Vinegar
• 1 Tbs minced Shallots
• sea salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Prepare Quinoa as directed on package.
2. I usually prepare my Quinoa ahead of time and already have stored in the fridge.
3. Mix together dressing and shake well.
4. In large bowl add salad ingredients.
5. Add dressing to salad and mix well.
6. Enjoy!

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