Recipe Overview

1. Cook quinoa either on the stovetop or in an Instant Pot.
2. Toast almonds in the oven.
3. Make the dressing and assemble the salad.
4. Serve.

Stovetop Quinoa Instructions

1. Rinse quinoa and transfer to a medium saucepan (with lid). Stir in 2 cups (475 ml) water and low FODMAP vegetable broth base.
2. Bring mixture to a boil over medium-high to high heat. Once boiling, decrease the heat to medium, or enough to maintain a simmer. Continue to cook until the quinoa has absorbed all of the liquid, about 15 minutes.
3. Turn off the heat and cover for 5 minutes. Transfer the cooked quinoa to a large serving bowl.

Instant Pot Quinoa Instructions

1. Rinse quinoa and transfer to Instant Pot. Stir in 1 ½ cups (375 ml) water and low FODMAP vegetable broth base. Whisk to mix.
2. Secure the Instant Pot cover and switch the vent to “Sealing”. Select the “Manual” setting on the Instant Pot. Adjust the time to 1 minute on “High Pressure” and cook. It took my Instant Pot about 5 minutes to come to pressure before cooking.
3. Once the timer goes off, allow the pressure to naturally release for 10 minutes before carefully switching the vent to “Venting” to release any remaining pressure. Once the pin drops, remove the lid and transfer the cooked quinoa to a large serving bowl.

Toast Almonds

1. Preheat oven to 300°F.
2. Place almonds in an even, single layer on a dry sheet pan. Bake for 8-12 minutes or until almonds are just toasted and golden brown. Stay close, because the almonds can quickly go from golden to burnt.
3. Transfer the toasted almonds to the large mixing bowl with the cooked quinoa.

Assemble

1. In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, maple syrup, red wine vinegar, and thyme.
2. To the large bowl with the cooked quinoa and toasted almonds, add the cranberries, green onion tops, and dressing. Stir to mix.
3. Serve salad warm. Or, refrigerate for 2 hours and serve chilled.

Storage: Refrigerate in an airtight container for use within 2-3 days. Freezing is not recommended.