Delicious Vegetable and Quinoa Salad with Bacon

Photo: Jennifer Causey, Styling; Lindsey Lower

Ingredients
2 1/2 cups fresh asparagus, cut diagonally into 1-inch pieces

1/2 cup frozen green peas

3 center-cut bacon slices, chopped

3 tablespoons cider vinegar

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

2 teaspoons whole-grain Dijon mustard

1 3/4 cups Ginger-Coconut Quinoa

1 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon

1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves

5 ounces baby spinach

3 tablespoons sliced almonds, toasted

Preparation
Hands-on: 18 Minutes

Total: 26 Minutes

1. Bring a large saucepan filled with water to a boil. Add asparagus and peas; boil 2 minutes. Drain. Plunge into a bowl of ice water; drain.
2. Cook bacon in a large skillet over medium-high heat 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove bacon from pan with a slotted spoon; set aside. Add vinegar, butter, and Dijon mustard to drippings in pan, stirring with a whisk until butter melts. Add quinoa and pepper to pan; cook 1 minute. Place quinoa mixture in a medium bowl; add asparagus mixture, parsley, tarragon, thyme, and spinach, tossing to combine. Divide quinoa mixture among 4 plates; sprinkle evenly with reserved bacon and almonds.
(Source: myrecipes.com)