Quinoa Salad with Arugula & Fig Dressing

Preheat oven to 500°.

Cook quinoa as directed on package. (Generally, you’ll need 2 cups of water for 1 cup of quinoa.) In a saucepan bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Cover and cook until all the water is absorbed, about 15 minutes. Set aside to cool in a large mixing bowl.

In a pre-heated oven, place the whole pepper on a sheet pan and cook for 25 - 40 minutes, until the skin is completely wrinkled and the peppers are charred. Turn the pepper twice during roasting.

During the last 6-8 minutes of roasting, add the seasoned, oiled asparagus to the sheet pan.

Remove from oven and allow the pepper to rest. Remove the stem, skin, and seeds from the pepper. Chop pepper into a small dice.

Cut roasted asparagus into one-inch pieces.

Place the peppers, asparagus, and arugula into the bowl with the quinoa. Finely shred the mint leaves and add.

In a small bowl, add the olive oil, red wine vinegar, fig jam, salt and pepper, and whisk until well incorporated. Drizzle over salad and fold in the goat cheese. Refrigerate and serve.