A quinoa salad with pear and cashews, dressed with a drizzle of vinegar and a pinch of salt.
The first bite brings together tender quinoa grains, juicy fresh pear and the crunch of chopped cashews. A splash of vinegar brightens everything up and lets the sweetness of the fruit shine through. This quinoa salad with pear and cashews takes just a handful of ingredients and a few simple steps. Serve it cold or at room temperature, on its own or alongside a main course.
What Is Quinoa Salad with Pear ?
This is a cold salad of cooked quinoa, pear pieces and chopped cashews, seasoned with vinegar and salt. Quinoa is a pseudocereal prepared like a grain : once cooked, its small grains become translucent and tender, with a white germ that unfurls into a delicate spiral. With no extra sauce or toppings, the salad relies on three textures : tender grains, juicy fruit and crunchy nuts.
For two servings, use 75 g of quinoa cooked in 150 ml of water, one pear and a handful of cashews. Serve it as it is or alongside roast chicken, grilled fish or pan-fried tofu.
A Homemade Quinoa Salad
This is a homemade quinoa salad with no particular regional roots. What sets it apart from the usual quinoa salads is the pairing of pear and cashews, along with a dressing of nothing more than vinegar and salt. With such a short ingredient list, the details make all the difference : the size of the pieces, the order in which you add them and how gently you toss everything together.
The Main Ingredients
Quinoa forms the base, with 75 g to 150 ml of water. Simmering it gently after bringing it to a boil makes it tender, with a slight bite. The pear adds juiciness and fragrance ; choose one that is ripe but firm so the pieces hold their shape. An overly soft pear would blend into the grains, losing the contrast in texture.
A handful of chopped cashews adds a gentle crunch, with a flavor that complements the fruit. Uneven pieces work better than finely ground nuts, which would disappear into the quinoa. Macadamia nuts can be used instead, for example for a low-histamine salad : they have a more delicate crunch and a more buttery flavor.
The dressing calls for just 2 teaspoons of vinegar and 2 pinches of salt. Apple cider vinegar brings out the fruity notes, while food-grade white vinegar adds a sharper acidity. For a milder variation, rice vinegar also works very well.
Cooking and Serving Tips
Bring the quinoa and water just to a boil, then simmer gently for 20 minutes and let stand, covered, for a few minutes. The grains should remain separate and translucent, with almost all the water absorbed and the white germ fully unfurled. Mix the vinegar and salt together first, then stir into the quinoa to season it evenly. Add the peeled pear cut into bite-sized pieces, followed by the chopped nuts, tossing gently to keep the pieces intact.
To get ahead, cool the cooked quinoa quickly, then store it separately in a sealed container in the refrigerator. Once assembled, the salad loses its freshness quickly : the pear browns and releases juice, and the nuts lose their crunch. It is therefore best assembled just before serving. Each serving provides 192 kcal and 32 g of net carbs.
Ingredients
- 75 g quinoa +150 ml water
- 1 pear
- 1 handful cashews
- Macadamia nuts as an alternative, for a low-histamine version
- 2 teaspoons white vinegar or apple cider vinegar
- 2 pinches salt
Instructions
- Bring the quinoa and water just to a boil. Simmer gently for 20 minutes, then cover and let it cook a little longer.75 g quinoa
- Mix the vinegar with a generous pinch of salt, then stir into the quinoa.2 teaspoons white vinegar, 2 pinches salt
- Peel the pear and cut it into pieces. Roughly chop the nuts and sprinkle them over the top.1 pear, 1 handful cashews, Macadamia nuts
