A refreshing, cold salad with the spotlight on fresh veggies! It’s a very forgiving recipe to boot. If you have veggies in the fridge that “Must Go!”, add them here. Then top it all with a fresh chili-mango dressing, avocado, and cilantro.
2bunchgreen onion, sliced thin, divided for garnish
1bunchcilantro, chopped fine, divided for garnish
Garnishes
2earipe avocado, diced
reserved green onion
reserved chopped cilantro
½cupsliced or slivered almonds
Instructions
Optional first step: To give your quinoa a "nutty" flavor: In a saucepan, heat the avocado oil. Toast the quinoa in the hot oil until it becomes fragrant.
Cook the quinoa: Bring the water and quinoa to a boil in the saucepan. When the water is boiling, reduce the heat to simmer, cover the pan, and set the timer for 20 minutes. Don't peek! If you like, you can cook the quinoa up to 2 days in advance and keep it in the 'fridge.
Make the Chili Mango Lime Dressing: Put all the ingredients in a blender and process at high speed for 30 seconds.
Make the Salad: In a large bowl, stir together all the salad ingredients. Stir to combine the ingredients, and then add the quinoa and stir until incorporated. Add green onion and chopped cilantro to taste (reserving the rest for garnish) and stir until combined.
To serve: Serve the salad on a plate. Pour dressing on the salad. Top with a few slices of avocado. Garnish with sliced green onion, chopped cilantro, and slivered almonds.
Notes
NOTE: This recipe makes a large salad. It's great for leftovers in the fridge for a few days, so I prefer to make a large batch. However, if you are planning for leftovers to go in the refrigerator, it is recommended that you add dressing and garnishes when you serve the leftovers. If you prefer to make half a recipe, look for the “.5” button in the “ingredient multiplier."
Nutrition
Nutrition Facts
Must Go! Quinoa Salad Recipe—Vegan, Fast, Easy, Inexpensive
Amount per Serving
Calories
745.59
% Daily Value*
Fat
32.25
g
50
%
Saturated Fat
3.44
g
22
%
Trans Fat
0.01
g
Polyunsaturated Fat
7.45
g
Monounsaturated Fat
19.47
g
Sodium
1263.62
mg
55
%
Potassium
1795.74
mg
51
%
Carbohydrates
98.31
g
33
%
Fiber
19.93
g
83
%
Sugar
17.91
g
20
%
Protein
26.13
g
52
%
Vitamin A
16232.23
IU
325
%
Vitamin C
210.54
mg
255
%
Calcium
375.53
mg
38
%
Iron
8.13
mg
45
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.