Festive Pomegranate Quinoa Salad

Every year the United Way Committee at my office hosts a potluck fundraiser lunch. The pomegranate quinoa salad I contributed this year was a big hit and I promised to share the recipe, so here it is.  

Pomegranate Quinoa Salad

• 2 cups of quinoa
• 4 cups of water
• 1 preserved lemon*
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 2 stalks of celery finely chopped
• 1/2 cup of olive oil
• 1/3 cup of sherry vinegar
• seeds from one large pomegranate
• 1 bunch of cilantro finely chopped
• salt to taste

Rinse quinoa well.  Combine water and quinoa in pot and bring to boil, turn temperature down, cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from stove and place in bowl.  Add olive oil, sherry vinegar and garlic to hot quinoa. Rinse the preserved lemon, remove pulp, and finely chop.  Add to quinoa mixture and stir. Set aside to cool to room temperature.  Finely chop celery, and place on top of room temperature quinoa along with pomegranate seeds and cilantro.  Gently stir just before serving. Serve at room temperature. 

*Because preserved lemons are hard to find, I make my own.  They are remarkable easy to make and an ingredient that adds an interesting freshness to a dish.  An earlier entry details the process.