Tasty Vegan Quinoa Salad Recipe With Lemon Basil Dressing

Quinoa is an alternative grain and an incredibly nutritious food. If you’re looking for a way to add quinoa to your diet, this amazing quinoa salad will leave you asking for more. I found the original recipe on Two Peas & Their Pod and can’t wait to share it with you. Let’s get started.

Vegan Quinoa Salad Recipe

• Prep time: 5 minutes
• Cook time: 40 minutes
• Total time: 45 minutes
• Serves: 4-6 people

Equipment

• Small bowl and whisk (or medium jar with a tight lid)
• Medium saucepan
• Fork
• Large skillet
• Large bowl
• Ingredients

Lemon Basil Dressing

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon raw honey or agave nectar
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped, fresh basil
• Himalayan crystal salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

Quinoa Salad

• 2 cups of purified water
• 
1 cup of quinoa
• ½ teaspoon Himalayan crystal salt
• 2 teaspoons of organic olive oil
• 1 small bunch of organic asparagus, about 15 spears, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 tablespoon of organic fresh lemon juice
• 1 cup of organic frozen peas
• 1 organic avocado (chopped)
• Himalayan salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• ¼ cup chopped, organic basil

Directions

1. Combine ingredients for dressing in a small bowl and whisk to combine. Alternately, put dressing ingredients in a medium jar with a tight lid and shake to combine.
2. Add water, quinoa, and 1/2 teaspoon Himalayan salt to a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat and boil for 5 minutes.
3. Turn heat to low. Simmer for about 15 minutes, or until water is absorbed.
4. Remove from heat and fluff with a fork.
5. While the quinoa is cooking, heat the asparagus. Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Add the asparagus and fresh lemon juice. Cook until tender, about 5 minutes.
6. Add peas to the asparagus. Stir. Cook for an additional 2 minutes.
7. In a large bowl, combine quinoa, asparagus, peas, and avocado. Pour the dressing over the salad. Stir until well coated. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir in fresh basil and serve.

What Makes This Quinoa Salad Recipe Healthy?

Let’s take a second and discuss the benefits of quinoa. First off, it’s a great source of fiber, more than most other grains.^[1] It’s gluten-free, which is fabulous for everyone, gluten intolerant or not.^[2] It’s high in protein, minerals, antioxidants, and even supports good cholesterol.^{[3, 4]} There’s no question about its nutritional value; the only question is, how do you pronounce it? “Kee-noo-wah” is the proper pronunciation, but “Keen-wah” is acceptable, too. Now that you’ve learned about all the benefits of quinoa, you will enjoy this delicious treat even more!

References

1. Repo-Carrasco-Valencia, Ritva Ann-Mari, and Lesli Astuhuaman Serna. “Quinoa (Chenopodium Quinoa, Willd.) as a Source of Dietary Fiber and Other Functional Components.” Ciência E Tecnologia De Alimentos Ciênc. Tecnol. Aliment. 31.1 (2011): 225-30. Web. 13 Apr. 2016.
2. Lee, A. R., D. L. Ng, E. Dave, E. J. Ciaccio, and P. H. R. Green. “The Effect of Substituting Alternative Grains in the Diet on the Nutritional Profile of the Gluten-free Diet.” Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics 22.4 (2009): 359-63. PubMed. Web. 13 Apr. 2016.
3. “Healthy Food Trends — Quinoa: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia.” Medline Plus. U.S. National Library of Medicine, 28 May 2014. Web. 13 Apr. 2016.
4. Laus, Maura N., Anna Gagliardi, Mario Soccio, Zina Flagella, and Donato Pastore. “Antioxidant Activity of Free and Bound Compounds in Quinoa (Chenopodium Quinoa Willd.) Seeds in Comparison with Durum Wheat and Emmer.” Journal of Food Science 77.11 (2012): n. pag. PubMed. Web. 13 Apr. 2016.