Cranberry Quinoa Pasta Salad Recipe

Cranberry Quinoa Pasta Salad Recipe

Pasta salad with quinoa and cranberries is a delicious vegan appetizer, side dish, or even main meal. It’s a lovely vegan pasta salad for spring or summer. My kids actually really think it’s tasty. I make cranberry quinoa pasta salad for BBQs and cookouts and people love it.

Pasta salad with quinoa is healthy and plant based. Quinoa is a top plant based protein and legume. It’s high in fiber, magnesium, B vitamins, iron, potassium, calcium, phosphorus, vitamin E and many beneficial antioxidants.

Vegan pasta salad is very nutritious because of the edible seed, quinoa. Quinoa contains two flavonoids that have been particularly well studied, called quercetin and kaempferol. These important molecules have been shown to have anti-inflammatory, anti-viral, anti-cancer and anti-depressant effects in animal studies.

The cranberries and corn add a sweet tangy crunchy pop to this pasta salad with quinoa as well. It’s a unique flavor combination that I’m really excited about! Another unique flavor is the black garlic powder. 

Black garlic is my favorite seasoning in recipes like vegan pasta salad. It’s an aged garlic that has a browning quality which is different than caramelization. The browning of the black garlic is attributable to Maillard reaction. 

It’s made made by heating whole bulbs of garlic for multiple weeks. process that results in black cloves. Black garlic taste’s sweet, syrupy with hints of vinegarette. That’s why is makes such a lovely flavor combination with the savory quinoa and tart cranberries. 

This plant based side dish is healthy and simple

You only need a few easy ingredients for this pasta salad with quinoa. All you need is 1 cup dry quinoa, 2 cups water, and 3/4 cup corn. Also 1/2 dried cranberries, 1 tbsp vegetable oil, and. 1 tbsp salt. 

Other ingredients for this vegan side dish is 1 tsp black garlic powder, 1 tsp nutmeg, and 4 tbsp raspberry vinegarette. Additionally it’s so simple to make this dish. 

Use a medium to large cooking pot to cook 1 cup of quinoa in 2 cups of water. (You will end up with 3 cups of cooked quinoa.) Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, then lower the heat to a simmer and put on the lid.

Quinoa is done when it has absorbed all the water (12 – 15 minutes) Then remove heat and set aside. In a medium frying pan heat up 2 tbsp vegetable oil, then add corn, cranberries, and seasoning. Heat these vegan pasta salad ingredients and stir for approximately 10 minutes on medium high heat. 

Combine cooked quinoa with stir fry corn and cranberries in a large salad bowl, drizzle with raspberry vinegarette. (I prefer the low sugar kind). It’s also nice to add chunks of avocado, I used 1 whole medium/large avocado. This recipe makes 6-8 servings of pasta salad with quinoa and cranberries.

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