Baby Greens with Quinoa Salad and Honey Balsamic Vinaigrette

Simple and healthy Baby Greens Salad with Quinoa and Honey Balsamic Vinaigrette. Plus tips for making homemade vinaigrettes. Vegan friendly.

I’m designating today Salad Monday so I’m bringing this simple and flavorful Baby Greens Salad recipe to you. It’s made with a few of my favorite things, including homemade vinaigrette and baby greens. It’s packed with chopped walnuts, dried cherries and gorgonzola CHEESE!

The challenge was pretty simple: create a recipe with red quinoa and broiled oranges. This recipe started with the intention of using broiled oranges in it. But I decided to do something different with the oranges (recipe coming soon!) made a baby greens salad instead. Things that I know pair well with quinoa – dried fruits, walnuts, tangy cheese and basil – were incorporated into the recipe. A simple and flavorful vinaigrette made with honey balsamic vinegar and EVOO was used to dress the baby greens salad.

Things you need to know about making vinaigrettes.

If you don’t want the oil and vinegar to separate, use an emulsifier, about 1 tsp per 2 tbsp of vinegar. Greek yogurt, mustard and fresh garlic are a few of my favs to use.

Research ingredients and choose what pairs well with the ingredients of your salad.

Use the 4 parts oil, 1-2 parts vinegar rule. For my recipe, I used 4 parts oil, two parts vinegar. You can always add more oil or vinegar, if needed.

A little goes a long way. Vinaigrettes boast tons of flavor. If you over-drizzle your salad, you will have a soupy, over-flavored mess. When dressing your salads, start with a little and gradually add more.

Store vinaigrettes in your refrigerator for 1-2 weeks. If you’re using a dairy based emulsifier, such as Greek yogurt, play it safe and toss it after a week.

New goal: write recipe drafts before attempting to make a recipe.

This recipe marks the first time I’ve actually written out a recipe before creating it. Typically, I create as I go but I found out writing a recipe draft before dragging out the ingredients makes recipe developing much easier. Visit Healthy Seasonal Recipes to learn the 5 Ways to write better recipes.

Another new goal: write better, informative posts. I started with this one by giving you some suggestions and tips for making vinaigrettes. How did I do?

⅓ C + 1 tbsp uncooked red quinoa 1 C baby spring mix greens ¼ C chopped walnuts ¼ C dried whole cherries 1-2 tbsp gorgonzola 1 tbsp sliced fresh basil For the Dressing

¼ C extra virgin olive oil 2 tbsp Honey White Balsamic Vinaigrette 1 tsp deli spicy mustard (emulsifier) 1 clove garlic, minced Drop of vanilla extract Pinch of kosher salt Instructions

Prepare the red quinoa. Rinse the quinoa well - Place the quinoa in a strainer and rinse thoroughly for about 2 minutes, stirring with your hands as it is rinsed. Then place the quinoa in a rice cooker (or a saucepan if you are cooking on your stove) and rinse with water 2-3 times, draining after each rinse. Cook the quinoa. I cook quinoa in my rice cooker, using the same method used to cook rice. I have a small rice cooker and fill to line 1 with the amount of quinoa used for this recipe.To cook via stovetop, place the quinoa in a medium sauce pan. Add ¾ C water and a pinch of salt and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce the heat to medium low and cook until the liquid is dissolved, 10-15 minutes. Once the quinoa is done cooking, place in a bowl and fluff with a fork. Allow to cool completely.

Prepare the dressing. Whisk together the EVOO, vinegar, greek yogurt, garlic and vanilla extract. If you have a dressing cruet or a jar with a lid, you can add all ingredients to either one and shake to combine ingredients.

Assemble the salad. Place the quinoa in a serving bowl. Toss the greens with ½ tbsp of the dressing (you can toss with more, if desired, but I don't recommend it). Place the greens over the quinoa and then top with the whole cherries, chopped walnuts, sliced fresh basil and gorgonzola cheese. Drizzle with extra dressing, if desired. Toss to combine.

Store unused dressing in an airtight container in your fridge for 1 week. Notes nutrition calculation includes ½ tbsp of the dressing. Calorie count per 1 tbsp of dressing: 100 calories / 2g Carb / 11g Fat / 0g protein / 67mg sodium / 2g sugar Nutrition Information Serving size: about 1.5 C Calories: 380 Fat: 20g Carbohydrates: 43g Sugar: 17g Sodium: 111mg Protein: 10g 3.3.3077

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