Fruit and Mint Quinoa Salad with Honey Lime Dressing
By posting this recipe I am entering a recipe contest sponsored by National Honey Board and am eligible to win prizes associated with the contest. I was not compensated for my time.
Surprise!
I usually don’t post on Sundays, but today I decided to break the THIH mold. Why?
(1) It’s Sunday, SUNDAY, Sunday … and that means plenty of time in the kitchen.
(2) What better way to celebrate Father’s Day than with a new delicious AND healthy recipe? (Happy Father’s Day to all the great dads out there, including Peter’s dad and my own father!)
(3) After posting my Recipe Redux contest entry last week, I began thinking about all the different qualities of honey. For example, it balances and ties together so many other flavors (like lavender, pork, and bananas). It’s perfect for entertaining and holiday recipes (ahem, Father’s Day). It’s also a great emulsifier, which is essential in salad dressings – and that’s what got my creative juices flowing. That, and the fact I hadn’t yet come up with a recipe for my open hours at Strawberry Fields.
What was that quote about necessity being the mother father of invention?
One of the wonderful aspects of being a grocery store dietitian is that I get to introduce customers to all kinds of foods and flavors they never would have considered. That’s why I was so proud to serve this fruit quinoa salad, lightly sweetened with honey.
I consider this salad a celebration of health, family, and, of course, fresh fruit and honey.
You can use any combination of fruits in this salad. I chose in-season strawberries and champagne mangoes (for Champaign-Urbana, IL. Get it? GET IT?)Â I handed out so many samples of this quinoa salad, I didn’t have leftovers for Peter (to his great sorrow). Don’t worry, Peter. I’m itching to make more.
Fruit quinoa salad with honey lime dressing: opening conversations about food and nutrition since 2013.
Enjoy your week, dear reader!
Fruit and Mint Quinoa Salad with Honey Lime Dressing
 Prep Time: 5 minutes
 Cook Time: 20 minutes + chill time
 Keywords: entree side quinoa honey mint spring summer
Ingredients (6 servings)
- 1 cup quinoa, rinsed in a fine-mesh strainer for 3 to 5 minutes
- 2 cups water
- 1 1/2 cups fruit, chopped (e.g. mangoes, strawberries, raspberries, peaches)
- 1/3 cup mint, chopped
Honey Lime Dressing
- Juice from 1 lime
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup mint (optional garnish)
Instructions
Heat medium saucepan over medium heat and toast quinoa for 1 minute. Add water and bring to a boil. Lower heat to low, cover and cook for 15 minutes. Remove saucepan from burner and allow to sit for 4 minutes.
If chilled salad is desired, transfer quinoa to medium serving bowl and chill in refrigerator for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, whisk together lime juice, honey and salt. Mix fruit, dressing and chopped mint into quinoa. Garnish with additional mint and serve.
Isn’t great how the simplest of recipes can be so delicious (and spur conversation 🙂 Love the lime & honey dressing – this would go well with so many foods.
Thanks, Deanna! 🙂
This looks delicious Jessie! What a wonderful way to celebrate Father’s Day. My dad is a health nut so this recipe felt all the more perfect to read about tonight. I love the addition of honey to quinoa. I haven’t made a “sweet” quinoa recipe before. Thank you for sharing, sweet friend!
This quinoa looks fancy and tasty 😉 I never know what to do with it, thank you for this recipe! My father usually refuses to eat quinoa, but I’m sure he would definitely enjoy this salad 🙂
Yum looks delicious!