Lemon Garlic Quinoa and Apricot Salad

I have been sewing like crazy this week.  Unfortunately, I have nothing to actually show you!  What a tease, I know.  I will, however, tell you that I have BIG things coming next week.  Eeeek!  So excited!  Make sure to like my facebook page to hear the BIG news first, though.

So, since I have no sewing to show you (even though I have been sewing – a lot.  I promise.), I will show you my favorite salad.  It just might change your life.  It’s that good.

I love this salad so much.  Quite awhile back, I came across a recipe somewhere for a salad, and then I modified it a little bit to make it just how I like it.  This salad can be either a meal or a side.  It’s become one of my go-to potluck recipes, especially in the summer.

You will need:

salad greens (I like a wide variety here – and no iceberg, please!)
green onions
avocado
dried apricots
toasted almonds
feta cheese
quinoa* (optional)

Lemon-Garlic Dressing:

lemon juice
olive oil
garlic
salt

(this is the salad without quinoa, and without avocado, because sadly there were no good avocados to be found at the store)

I never measure anything, so you’ll have to guestimate along with me on the amounts.  Basically, fill your bowl (large or small) with salad greens and add all the fixin’s.  If you’re making this just for yourself, you’ll only need a part of an avocado (but if you want to use more, go ahead – no judgment here!), a few dried apricots cut into small pieces, a green onion or two, and a small topping of chopped toasted almonds and feta cheese.  If you’re making it for a large group, you’ll obviously want more than that.

As for the dressing, press a clove or two of garlic into a small prep bowl.  I think this salad is really good with at least two cloves of garlic in the dressing.  Add some olive oil and lemon juice and a pinch of salt.  Mix it all together and give it a taste – I usually end up adding more lemon juice, so it tastes more lemon-y than olive oil-y.

(with the quinoa – the best way to make this salad!)

Now to crank this salad up a notch, you need to add quinoa.  Quinoa is so amazing.  It’s incredibly good for you, packs a good protein punch, is gluten-free, and can be served with just about anything.  If you’ve never tried it, you really must.  If I’m making this salad for a large group, I usually add a lot of quinoa (a cup when it’s uncooked – not sure how much that ends up being after it’s cooked).  Just for a small salad, though, I just throw in whatever I have leftover from last night’s dinner.

**EDIT: It’s helpful (though not entirely necessary) if your quinoa is cooled when you add it to the salad.  If I make it when I’m pressed for time, I throw the quinoa in a shallow dish and put it in the freezer or fridge for a bit to take away some of the heat.

Now go add this salad to your menu plan.  Seriously, do it.  And remember to check out my facebook page to hear the big news before it’s posted here!