From the time I was little, I developed a love of nuts, which I think I subtlety inherited from my father (maybe or maybe not via peanut M&M’s). I’ve always loved Cashews in particular, but they were cemented as my most favorite nut after living in Brazil and eating them freshly picked and roasted, right on the beach. Vendors walk around with little baggies you can buy for a buck and it’s the most amazing thing. Cashews, with their rich, buttery texture, and roasted nutty (hmm, can you describe a nut as “nutty”?) flavor, make them perfect for use in so many recipes. I often buy my groceries at my local Fred Meyer (part of the Kroger family of stores) and I discovered some spicy curry cashews, from their Simple Truth line that I absolutely fell in love with. Ironically, Simple Truth later asked me to develop some recipes for them I knew immediately that one of them would feature those nuts (since I conveniently already had like, 12 bags of them in my pantry…) If you don’t have a Kroger store near you (which include Fred Meyer, Ralph’s, QFC, Frye’s, Dillon’s and Smith’s) don’t worry! You can use regular cashews here, or another brand of curry cashews if you can find them. I actually shot a video for this recipe (way back in February), so I’m going to let that do the talking!
This salad makes a really yummy light lunch or dinner and I love the colors in it.
Curry Cashew Quinoa Salad
Recipe by Our Best Bites
*denotes products available from Simple Truth. Simple Truth is Kroger’s line of natural and organic food that’s free from 101 artificial preservatives and ingredients (see the list here!) and can be found right in the normal grocery store.
Ingredients
2 cups vegetable broth*
2 1/2 teaspoons curry powder, divided*
1 cup quinoa*
¾ cup diced pineapple
1/3 cup diced red onion
1/3 cup fresh parsley or cilantro
1 ½ cups diced cooked chicken breast*
½ cup chopped Curry Cashews* (or regular cashews)
Dressing
2 tablespoons olive oil*
1 tablespoon honey*
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
4 tablespoons fresh lemon or lime juice
Kosher Salt
Black Pepper
Instructions
Bring vegetable broth to a boil in a medium sized pot. Add 1 ½ teaspoons curry powder, quinoa, and a pinch of salt. Reduce pot to a simmer, cover, and cook until liquid has been absorbed (about 15 minutes.) Set aside to cool, and then place in fridge until chilled.
Combine chilled quinoa, pineapple, onion, parsley or cilantro, and chicken and gently toss to combine. Place olive oil, honey, vinegar, remaining curry powder (1 tsp, however some curry powders are stronger than others, so you might want to start with 1/2 tsp and add more to your liking.) and lemon or lime juice in a small jar. Add a pinch of salt and a few cracks of pepper and shake to combine. Pour desired amount over quinoa mixture and gently toss to combine. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste. Right before serving, stir in cashews.
