Healthy Quinoa Salad
Quinoa salads are a favorite healthy side dish that can easily slide into the all-in-one plant-based meal category too. They’re fast to make but last all week in the refrigerator, making them a wholesome treat for lunch, dinner, or as a quick, satisfying snack.
Known as one of nature’s superfoods, quinoa is a carbohydrate that’s extra rich in protein, dietary fiber, B vitamins, and dietary minerals. In fact, 1 cup of quinoa provides twice the protein plus about 5 grams more fiber than the same amount of cooked white rice, making it a favorite plant-based protein for vegetarians and vegans. As a combo carb/protein, it fills you up faster and sticks with you longer.
This bright and colorful salad is a great all-time recipe. Light and citrusy, it’s a whole new way to enjoy quinoa. Lime juice, cilantro, and mint give a refreshing kick, while quinoa and beans provide tasty vegan protein. If you’re not vegan, add even more protein by adding chunks of chicken or turkey. Yum!
Ingredients
For The Dressing:
- 1/2 cup canola oil
- 1/3 cup fresh lime juice from about 4 limes
- 2 tablespoons apple cider
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 jalapeño, seeded and minced
For the Quinoa Salad:
- 1 1/2 cups white or red quinoa
- 3 cups water
- 50 gms boiled beans
- 50 gms boiled chickpeas
- 1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and chopped into 1/4-inch pieces
- 1 mango, peeled, pitted, and cut into 1/4-inch pieces
- 1/2 small red onion, peeled, and cut into 1/4″ pieces
- 1 avocado, peeled, pitted, and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
Recipe
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Rinse the quinoa in a strainer under cold water. Add the water to the pan with the quinoa and kosher salt. Boil the quinoa-like pasta, until the centers become transparent, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 12 minutes. Drain, fluff with a fork, and return the quinoa to the pot, cover with a kitchen towel and a lid and let sit for 5-10 minutes. Now spread the quinoa on a rimmed baking sheet and let cool. Transfer to a large bowl.
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Add the bell pepper, mango, red onion, avocado, beans, chickpeas along with herbs to the quinoa bowl.
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To make the dressing, whisk the oil, lime juice, cider, sugar, chili powder and kosher salt in a small bowl. Taste for seasoning and adjust if needed to taste. The dressing should taste pretty bold, but balanced.
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Pour the dressing over the salad and toss gently to mix. Allow the flavors to meld for about 20 minutes up to overnight.
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Best within the first day, but can be refrigerated for up to 4 days.
Tips for Making This Healthy Quinoa Salad
All this salad requires is a smidgen of cooking, a bit of chopping, and a little stirring.
- Cut the vegetables and fruits into similar bite-size pieces, making it easy to get more flavors in each forkful.
- Be sure to use cool quinoa before adding your raw vegetables. If you favor a nuttier flavor, toast the quinoa before boiling it. To toast the quinoa, add it to a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat and cook for 5 minutes, stirring often. Then, cook the quinoa as directed.
- Give your mango and avocado time to ripen by purchasing them 1-2 days before making this salad.
- Rinse and drain the beans before adding them to the salad.
- Gently toss the salad after dressing it so the avocado doesn’t turn into mus
Notes
- The quinoa can be cooked and refrigerated up to 3 days before assembling the salad. The dressing can also be made ahead of time.
- Substitute the chili powder for cumin or allspice.
- Allow at least 20 minutes up to overnight to serve after tossing the salad for the flavors to meld.
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Gaurav Gupta
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