Veggie Quinoa Salad is a mix of fluffy quinoa, fresh crunchy vegetables and a lemon ginger vinaigrette! A healthy salad that is perfect for meal prep.
Hearty, crunchy and ultra satisfying, this quinoa salad has it all!
Fluffy quinoa paired with crunchy cabbage and carrots, protein-rich edamame, fresh cilantro and scallions, all brought together by the zippy and fresh ginger lemon vinaigrette. A salad meal that is packed with fresh flavors, nutrients, and will leave you feeling energized and ready to tackle the day.
Reasons to love this recipe:
- Perfect for meal prep! Make a batch on Sunday and you have a hearty salad meal all week long. As it sits in the fridge, the dressing soaks into the salad imparting more and more flavor!
- It’s a simple and adaptable recipe. Use whatever crunchy veggies you have on hand to make this salad your own.
- Each modest serving has 8 grams of plant based protein!
What ingredients are in Veggie Quinoa Salad?
The ingredients are both simple and adaptable, making this salad a staple!
- Quinoa – I used white; red would be great too!
- Frozen edamame – or frozen peas
- Carrots
- Red cabbage – any color and variety will do.
- Scallions
- Cilantro – I have been known to go rogue and double the cilantro in this recipe.
- Roasted cashews – salted peanuts are also delicious!
And for the dressing:
- Lemon juice – or try it with lime instead
- Extra virgin olive oil – or grapeseed, avocado, etc.
- Coconut aminos – there isn’t a great swap for this one. Coconut aminos have a unique sweet umami flavor without the salinity of tamari or soy sauce.
- Dijon mustard
- Garlic
- Ginger
How do you cook quinoa?
These are my steps for ultra fluffy quinoa!
Rinse 1 parts quinoa in a fine mesh colander – this removes any bitter notes.
Place in a pot and cover with 2 parts water. Brung the mixture to a simmer, cover, and cook until all the water has absorbed, about 15-18 minutes.
Turn off the heat, remove the lid, and place a clean kitchen towel over the top of the pot. Place the lid on top of this and let the quinoa sit for 10 minutes. This helps it get nice and fluffy.
Give it a fluff with a fork and voila! Perfect quinoa!
How do you make Veggie Quinoa Salad?
Start by preparing your quinoa.
While the quinoa cooks, chop the veggies and whisk together the dressing. Toss everything together in a bowl and place in the fridge for 4 hours to allow the flavors to develop. Enjoy!
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Veggie Quinoa Salad
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Salad
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: Asian
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This Veggie Quinoa Salad stands out from the crowd with its sweet, tangy, and flavorful Ginger Mustard Dressing. A hit you are sure to love!
Ingredients
- 1 cup quinoa, rinsed
- 1 cup frozen edamame or frozen peas, defrosted
- 2 medium carrots, sliced thinly into rounds
- 1 ½ cups shredded purple cabbage
- 2 scallions, sliced into rounds
- ¼ cup cilantro, rough chopped
- ⅓ cup cashews or peanuts
For the dressing:
- ⅓ cup lemon juice
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons coconut aminos
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons finely minced ginger
Instructions
- Bring 2 cup of water and a generous pinch of salt to a boil. Stir in the quinoa. Cover and reduce to a simmer. Simmer for 18 minutes or until the quinoa has absorbed all of the water. Remove the lid and cover the pot with a clean dish towel. Place the lid back on the pot over the towel. Let the quinoa sit like this for 10 minutes. This allows the excess moisture to evaporate and be absorbed by the towel. It results in a fluffier and all around more delicious quinoa.
- While the quinoa is cooking stir together the lemon juice, olive oil, coconut aminos, mustard, garlic, and ginger.
- In a large bowl combine the edamame, carrots, purple cabbage, scallions, cilantro, cashews, quinoa, and dressing.
- Place in the fridge to chill for 2-4 hours. Enjoy!
Nutrition
- Serving Size: ⅙th recipe
- Calories: 277
- Sugar: 4g
- Sodium: 111mg
- Fat: 14g
- Saturated Fat: 2g
- Carbohydrates: 31g
- Fiber: 5g
- Protein: 8g
Keywords: Salad, quinoa, Asian, ginger, garlic, mustard, edamame, pea, cabbage, carrot, cilantro, scallion,
I can’t wait yo try this one!
You will have to let me know what you think once you give it a try! Let me know if you have any questions about the recipe :)