Rinse. Place quinoa in a mesh colander and give it a good rinse for about half a minute to remove impurities. Shake off the extra water — a bowl can work just as well.
Cook. Transfer the rinsed quinoa to a pot, and pour in double the water for every cup with ¼ teaspoon sea salt. Slap a lid on, keep the flame at medium-high, and let it bubble away for 12 minutes or until the quinoa has soaked all the water.
Rest. Once done, remove from heat, but keep the lid on. Let the quinoa sit for 5 minutes. Then, fluff it up with a fork to get it nice and airy. Set aside a handful of arils for a final garnish on the salad.
VEGETABLES & FRUIT
Extract Pomegranate Arils. Halve that beauty and get a bowl of water ready. Dive in and gently free those arils. Be gentle — we don't want juice everywhere. Scoop them out with your hands and set them aside in your serving bowl.
Clean Mushrooms. Give the mushrooms a quick rinse under the tap to get the dirt off. Then, pat them dry right away.
Slice. Now, get those mushrooms into halves.
Sauté mushrooms. Get your skillet on a medium-high flame, spoon olive oil (if using), some ground garlic, and salt. Set the mushrooms face down and sauté until golden golden brown. Take them off the flame and reserve.
Sauté Onion. Let's give the onion the same golden-brown treatment with another spoon of oil (or 2 tablespoon water) in that same skillet. Once they look good and golden, reserve.
Sauté green beans in the same skillet, adding the remaining ground garlic until slightly blistered.
Wilt Kale. Back in the skillet, let's give the kale a quick toss until it shows off a vibrant green. Then, tuck it in with a lid and wait till it's shiny and lightly wilted, then continue sautéing until lightly browned. Don't let the kale get soggy. Off the heat and reserve.
ASSEMBLING
Assemble Salad. Grab a big serving bowl, and let's bring everything together. Mix the sautéed veggies with the fluffed quinoa, sprinkle in the pomegranate arils, and optional toasted seeds.