Spinach Salad with Quinoa and Pomegranates

            This Spinach Salad with Quinoa and Pomegranates will be your new favorite Fall dish. It iso inviting, fresh, colorful and not to mention healthy.  This salad can be served as a side dish or as a light lunch, or add roasted chicken for a main dish meal. I love Quinoa and cook with it often. It is as simple to cook as white rice, and with it's light and fluffy texture it can be eaten on almost any plate, or even on its own.  It has an almost perfect balance of essential amino acids and proteins, which is why it is such an important food. 

Salad:

1/2 cup dried quinoa

1/2 cup chopped and toasted walnuts

1/2 pound baby spinach

1 cup crumbled feta

1 pomegranate, seeded

1/2 cup dried cranberries

Dressing:

3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 ½ teaspoons honey

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard 

Directions: 

1. Cook quinoa according to package directions and allow to cool. 
2. Place spinach, walnuts, feta, pomegranate seeds, dried cranberries into a large bowl and toss. Add quinoa and toss to combine. 
3. For dressing, whisk balsamic vinegar, olive oil, honey and Dijon mustard together in a bowl. Add to salad and toss.