This spicy salad with little jewels of dried apricot in the mix would be welcome at lunch or a simple weekday dinner. You can prepare the salad and dressing ahead of time.

Makes 4 servings

ACTIVE TIME: 30 minutes

TOTAL TIME: 45 minutes

EASE OF PREPARATION: Easy

1 cup quinoa (see Ingredient note)
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup dried apricots, coarsely chopped
2 cups water
1/4 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup Moroccan-Spiced Lemon Dressing (recipe follows), divided
1 cup cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes, halved
1 small red onion, chopped
8 cups baby spinach
1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted (see Tip)

1. Toast quinoa in a dry skillet over medium heat, stirring often, until it becomes aromatic and begins to crackle, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a fine sieve and rinse thoroughly.
2. Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until golden, about 1 minute. Add apricots and the quinoa; continue cooking, stirring often, until the quinoa has dried out and turned light golden, 3 to 4 minutes. Add water and salt; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, until the quinoa is tender and the liquid is absorbed, 15 to 18 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, make Moroccan-Spiced Lemon Dressing. Transfer the quinoa to a medium bowl and toss with 1/3 cup of the dressing. Let cool for 10 minutes.
4. Just before serving, add tomatoes and onion to the quinoa; toss to coat. Toss spinach with the remaining 1/3 cup dressing in a large bowl. Divide the spinach among 4 plates. Mound the quinoa salad on the spinach and sprinkle with almonds.

NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per serving: 325 calories; 10 g fat (1 g sat, 5 g mono); 0 mg cholesterol; 51 g carbohydrate; 11 g protein; 7 g fiber; 214 mg sodium.
Nutrition bonus: Vitamin A (120% daily value), Vitamin C (50% dv), Folate (32% dv), Iron (30% dv), Potassium (25% dv).


3 Carbohydrate Servings

Exchanges: 2 1/2 starch, 2 vegetable, 1/2 lean protein, 1 1/2 fat

TIP: Ingredient note: Quinoa is available in most natural-foods stores and the natural-foods sections of many supermarkets. Toasting this grain before simmering enhances its flavor.

To toast nuts: Heat a small dry skillet over medium-low heat. Add nuts and cook, stirring, until lightly browned and fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a bowl to cool.

MAKE AHEAD TIP: Prepare through Step 3. Cover and refrigerate the quinoa and dressing separately for up to 2 days.

RELATED RECIPES: Moroccan-Spiced Lemon Dressing | Spring Vegetable Ragout | Warm Bean & Arugula Salad | Parsley Tabbouleh | Asian Tofu Salad | Warm Quinoa Salad with Edamame & Tarragon

Everyone at the table loved this salad, vegetarians and meat-lovers all (7). The lemons woke it up, the apricots sweetened it up, and the toasted quinoa gave it a hearty flavor. Here in Arizona, we have lemons in the backyard, and are always scrambling for good recipes that use plenty. This will become a household mainstay. It was great with our salmon cooked lightly in salted lemon water.

Anonymous, Tempe, AZ

Wonderful recipe, great for a summer lunch or dinner or to take on a picnic.

Claudine, San Francisco, CA

Delicious with sea bass on top. Perfect summer meal.

Yummy! I made some substitutions to the salad (quickly sauteed grapes instead of the apricots and tomatoes) but I just loved the lemon dressing! Will definitely make this again!

Anonymous, Los Angeles, CA

My husband and I thought this was an excellent dish. I didn't have dried apricots so I used orange-flavored cranberries. I added poached salmon on top, and it was a complete and delicious meal.

Merrill, Lexington, KY

This was so so good. I can't wait to make it again.

Robin, Long Beach, CA

Wonderful, will make this again, loved the flavor of the dressing on the quinoa, the tomatoes and onions are good as well. Would make a great take to work lunch.

Libby, Phila, PA

This salad was delicious! Our plates were licked clean. I have one suggestion: Next time I would slowly add the remaining dressing to the spinach to taste. I thought it was drenched a bit much. That did not stop us from eating it though!

Hannah Banana, AR