Pear and Walnut Salad with Quinoa
This Pear and Walnut Salad with Quinoa is a winning combination of brown rice and quinoa, sweet pears, chopped walnuts, crumbled blue cheese and a zesty vinaigrette.
Ingredients
- 1 cup Minute® Ready to Serve Brown Rice & Quinoa
- 1 large pear, cored and diced
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
- 1/4 cup red wine vinaigrette
- 1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese
Categories
Instructions
This Pear and Walnut Salad with Quinoa is a delicious and quick option to serve as a dinner side, a quick, on-the-go lunch or as a shareable party dish. Simply toss Minute® Ready to Serve Brown Rice & Quinoa with pears, walnuts, red wine vinaigrette and crumbled blue cheese and you’ve got a simple and quick salad!
Step 1
Heat rice rice and quinoa according to package directions. Set aside and allow to cool.
Step 2
Toss rice and quinoa with pear, walnuts, vinaigrette and crumbled blue cheese in a medium bowl. Toss to mix well.
Recipe Tips
For a healthy dose of greens, serve this salad over lettuce leaves such as romaine, arugula or a pre-packaged mix.
For added texture, try adding in dried fruit such as chopped dates, raisins or cranberries.
Categories
Sophisticated but Fast
Brighten up your day with a flavorful and sophisticated-looking salad put together in just 5 minutes! Feast your eyes on the beauty of this rice and quinoa salad loaded with protein, crunchy walnuts, juicy pears, crumbled blue cheese and a zesty vinaigrette.
This vegetarian salad makes for a filling lunch, dinner side dish or even a plate to share at your next gathering. For more protein, toss in a bit of shredded chicken or tuna. You could also serve this dish over leafy greens to add some tasty veggies. Try another one of our favorite meat-free meals with added protein like this microwave recipe using egg in Fried Rice.
Picky-Eater Options
If you’re planning on serving this as a quick side dish for dinner, but you know it contains ingredients that some picky eaters just won’t like, adjust as necessary! Switch the cheese for a lighter option, such as mozzarella or goat cheese. Or, toss in another fruit of choice like strawberries or chopped apples.
Quick Vinaigrette
If you make this for your weekly meal prep, try making your own vinaigrette instead of using store-bought. To make it, combine olive oil, red wine vinegar, garlic powder, Dijon mustard, dried Italian seasoning mix, salt and pepper to taste and a bit of honey. Home-made salad dressing tastes great and saves you money! You can save the ingredients to make more in the future or make a double batch to keep in your fridge for all your salad options throughout the week, like this tasty Provençal Rice Salad.
If you are looking for some other weeknight meal options try our cheesy chicken and broccoli.
