I received the most amazing apricots in my Talley Farms CSA box! They are a perfect combination of tart & sweet. Left on the counter to ripen for only a day, they became tender yet not mushy – the perfect texture! Being my creative self, I wanted to do something different than just snacking on them or cooking them in a tart or pie. So I decided to grill and serve them in a salad!
Trying to add texture and color to my dish along with marrying flavors that compliment each other, I layered my salad starting with a bed of fresh Talley Farms organic arugula. To add some healthy protein, I topped the arugula with red quinoa. Quinoa has the perfect balance of all nine amino acids essential for human nutrition. This type of complete protein is rarely found in plant foods, though common in meats. Quinoa also offers a good dose of fiber and iron. A perfect addition to my salad in both its vibrant color and abundance of nutrition!
I finished off the salad with slices of grilled apricots, avocado and crumbled Point Reyes blue cheese. To dress the salad, I made a balsamic vinaigrette with one of my favorite aged balsamic vinegars from We Olive. A simple meal woven with texture and color, a hint of smoke from the grill, a subtle creaminess from the avocado and a punch of blue flavor. It doesn’t get better than that!
Arugula & Red Quinoa Salad with Grilled Apricots
Serves 4
- 1 bunch arugula, trimmed
- 1 cup red quinoa
- 5-6 firm ripe apricots, pitted and sliced in half
- 2 small avocados, peeled, pitted & sliced
- 1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese (Point Reyes)
- extra virgin olive oil
- freshly ground pepper
- 1/4 cup aged balsamic vinegar
- 1 small shallot minced
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
- Bring 2 cups water and 1 cup quinoa to a boil in a small saucepan. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until the water has been absorbed. Transfer to a bowl to cool.
- Heat a gas grill or grill pan on medium high. Brush the cut sides of the apricots with olive oil. Place them cut side down on the grill. Cook for 1-2 minutes until grill marks appear. Brush the tops with olive oil and carefully turn with a metal spatula making sure to release the fruit intact. Cook on the other side for 1 minute and then remove the fruit. Set aside 4 halves and slice the rest into 1/2″ pieces.
- Make the dressing: Put the vinegar, shallots, mustard and honey in a glass jar. Cover and shake to mix. Add the olive oil, cover and shake to emulsify. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir 1-2 tablespoons of the dressing into the cooled quinoa to moisten.
- Assemble the salad: Layer 4 salad plates or one large platter with arugula. Pile the quinoa on top in a mound in the center of the plate. Scatter the apricot and avocado slices on the salad and sprinkle with the crumbled blue cheese. Place one apricot half on each salad plate or around the platter. Drizzle some of the balsamic dressing over the salad passing extra at the table.
(click here) for printable recipe