Author Notes
I sat down to start making Melissa Clark's quinoa salad for dinner and lunch for the next few days, and I realized that I didn't have enough carrots (oops!). So what did I do? I roasted a veggie that I always have on hand- tomatoes. I replaced currants with toasted pumpkin seeds and added a bit more pomegranate molasses and lemon juice (because who can never have enough of those). I decided to also mix the dressing into the quinoa instead of the arugula, just to keep things a bit more fresh for the next day. This was delicious eaten warm the night of and cold the days after. Thanks for the inspiration! —Omayah Atassi
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Ingredients
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2 cups
quinoa
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1/2 cup
olive oil, more for frying and serving
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1/4 cup
lemon juice
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1/4 cup
pomegranate molasses, more for serving
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1
leek, trimmed, halved, and sliced thinly
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1 pint
cherry tomatoes, halved
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1/3 cup
pumpkin seeds
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6 ounces
arugula
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salt and pepper to taste
Directions
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Lightly toast the pumpkin seeds. Add them to a pan over medium heat, stirring often, until golden-brown and fragrant. Set aside.
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Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Toss the cherry tomato halves in olive oil, salt and pepper until coated. Roast the tomatoes in the oven until slightly shriveled, about 25-30 minutes. Add the tomatoes to a large bowl when finished roasting.
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Meanwhile, fry the leeks. Put enough oil at the bottom of a pan to cover the leeks. Add the leeks in batches, and remove with a slotted spoon when brown and crispy. Place them on a paper towel-lined plate.
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Place the quinoa in a mesh strainer and rinse. Add the quinoa to 2.5 cups boiling salted water. Simmer covered until water is completely absorbed, about 20 minutes.
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Add the quinoa and the toasted pumpkin seeds to the bowl of roasted tomatoes. Stir to combine.
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Combine the pomegranate molasses and lemon juice with 1 tsp of salt and a pinch of pepper. Whisk in the olive oil.
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Add the dressing to the quinoa, tomato and pumpkin seed mixture. Stir to combine.
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Place arugula on a platter, top with quinoa and frizzled leeks, and drizzle olive oil and pomegranate molasses just before serving. Can be served warm or cold. If serving cold, refrigerate up to 3 days. Keep arugula, quinoa mixture and leeks separate and assemble just before serving.
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