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A mouthwatering winter pomegranate orange quinoa salad, spinach, mandarine oranges, and crunchy pistachios. Topped with a creamy lemon greek yogurt dressing and feta cheese this makes one unforgettable salad!
We’re about halfway through the month—how are those resolutions going? It’s easy to lose steam, but small changes like adding fresh, colorful salads can help healthy eating become a habit.
If you’re looking for one to try, this winter pomegranate salad is a great place to start. I used to hate salads, but once I began mixing in seasonal fruits, I fell in love with them. It’s fresh, vibrant, and full of flavor. Need another idea? Try my Apple Pomegranate Salad.
Winter Pomegranate Orange Quinoa Salad
This salad is kind of all of my favorite things about winter. Pomegranate, oranges, and pistachios all remind me of the wintertime for some reason. Maybe because I always get a big bag of pistachios from my dad for Christmas… But I sure love pistachios in a salad. The crispy, fresh, and salty pistachios throughout this salad made every bite perfect!
The great thing about this salad is that it comes together in just a matter of minutes. The dressing is full of delicious citrus flavor, and the creaminess tops the salad perfectly. I made it with Greek yogurt, which adds a healthy and tangy alternative to other commonly used ingredients.
You guys are going to love everything about this salad. The pomegranate, mandarine oranges and all of the textures and flavors combined to bring you this amazing salad. This will be a salad that you will want to make again and again!
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Winter Pomegranate Orange Quinoa Salad with Creamy Lemon Greek Yogurt Dressing
Equipment
- 1 blender or food processor
Ingredients
- 1 cup uncooked quinoa
- 3 cups chopped baby spinach
- 2 cups drained canned mandarin oranges
- 1 cup pomegranate seeds
- ¼ cup coarsely chopped pistachios
- ¼ cup crumbled feta cheese
Lemon Greek Yogurt Dressing
- 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, about 1 lemon
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- ½ cup plain Greek yogurt
- ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Cook 1 cup uncooked quinoa according to the directions on the package. Once cooked, set it aside to cool for 10 minutes.
- Add the cooked and cooled quinoa, 3 cups chopped baby spinach, 2 cups drained canned mandarin oranges, and 1 cup pomegranate seeds to a large bowl and toss together lightly.
- Make the dressing by adding 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar, 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon minced garlic, ½ cup plain Greek yogurt, ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper to a blender or food processor and blending until smooth and creamy.
- Drizzle your preferred amount of dressing over the salad and toss together until evenly coated. Top with ¼ cup coarsely chopped pistachios and ¼ cup crumbled feta cheese and serve immediately.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
From the title I thought I’d be using lemon Greek yogurt, so since I had purchased it I did use that instead. Otherwise follwed the instructions as directed, and this was an excellent salad!! I do wish it had specified whether to use fresh mandarin oranges or canned ones. (I used fresh, but dithered when selecting the ingredients.)
I made this salad tonight and it was delicious! Even my picky food critic five-year-old loves it! I didn’t have pistachios on hand (wish I did since I love them), so I substituted them with toasted walnuts. Thank you for sharing…so good!
I just made this again, with the first pomegranate of the season. I love having salads I make on the weekends and then pack for lunch throughout the week. This has a great mix of textures and some unexpected flavors (in a good way). Nice change up from the usual quinoa salad.
That is exactly what I was hoping for! Thanks so much for sharing! XOXO
We had this for dinner tonight, and it was divine! And last night we had your creamy lime cilantro chicken and it was to die for!
I am so glad you liked it! Love seeing comments from people that I love! 🙂
This salad is the mother of all salads! I can just imagine all of those different flavors. What a great combo…thanks for sharing.