Rinse the quinoa in a mesh strainer. Bring 2 cups of water to a boil on MEDIUM-HIGH heat in a medium-sized saucepan. Add rinsed quinoa to the pan, stir to combine, then bring water back to a boil. Put a lid on the pan, and turn heat down to LOW. Cook quinoa for about 15 minutes OR until all the water has been absorbed by the quinoa. Once done, remove pan from the heat. Fluff up the quinoa, using a fork. Transfer quinoa to a large salad bowl, and let it cool for about 10 minutes.
While quinoa cools, make the salad dressing. Place ingredients in a small bowl (olive oil, orange juice, apple cider vinegar, orange zest, honey, turmeric and thyme). Whisk until fully combined.
Pour the dressing over warm quinoa, and stir well. Once combined, add dried cranberries, and stir well. Taste a bite of the salad; lightly season with salt and pepper, if desired. Place the salad (covered) into refrigerator, and let it chill for at least 30 minutes.
Toasted, chopped pecans will be the last thing to add to the chilled salad right before you serve it! There are 2 ways to toast pecans: 1) Toast them in a skillet: Place chopped pecans in a dry skillet. Cook on low heat, stirring often, for 3-4 minutes until they become fragrant. 2) Oven bake: Preheat oven to 350° F. Put the chopped pecans onto an ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 6-8 minutes. However you choose to toast the pecans, remove from heat when done; let them cool BEFORE adding to the salad. Once cooled, stir them into the refrigerated salad, fluff with a fork, and serve! Enjoy!
Cranberry Orange Quinoa Salad with Pecans https://www.thegratefulgirlcooks.com/cranberry-orange-quinoa-salad/