My favorite part about this hearty, vegetarian quinoa salad is the sweet dressing made from lemon-infused oil! The whole thing is so light and fresh.
I only have a few short weeks before I can no longer justify eating what I want, whenever I want. (Usually that doesn’t include quinoa salad.)
Bummer. *Sigh*
Given the choice, I may choose this particular quinoa salad over most of the indulging things I’ve been eating lately. This little one has wanted to nurse every waking moment of her days, and consequently my appetite is rather beast-like. I told Steve yesterday that I’d keep the baby fed if he’d keep me fed. Our grocery bill may just go up a smidgen.
That doesn’t mean I need to give in to every 9PM Nutella-on-ice-cream craving. I need to reign in my cravings and get ready for my July paleo cleanse (Which, by the way, means I’ll simply be eating strictly paleo. Not restricting calories or fat because I’ll be nursing.), so I’m gathering some healthier options, like this refreshing summer quinoa salad!
This one is similar to this Lemon Quinoa Salad, but has a sweet-ish dressing and a few other ingredients that turn it into a completely different salad.
And it’s totally sun-safe. No nasty, warm mayo to fear!
If you like this, salad, try one of my other sun-safe salads!
More Potluck Salad Recipes on Perry’s Plate
Grilled Vegetable & Rotisserie Chicken Salad — A mixture of grilled and fresh vegetables mixed with easy rotisserie chicken & tossed in a light lemon vinaigrette.
Grilled Vegetable Potluck Salad with Avocado Ranch — Similar to the one above, this one has grilled vegetables, but includes some tasty grilled chicken sausage and a creamy avocado ranch dressing!
Mango Cucumber Rice Salad — A rice-based salad with cool, refreshing bits of cucumber and mango!
If you make one of my recipes, be sure to post it on social media and tag me at @perrysplate or #perrysplate so I can send you some love!
Sweet Lemon-Herb Quinoa Salad
My favorite part about this hearty, vegetarian quinoa salad is the sweet dressing made from lemon-infused oil! The whole thing is so light and fresh.
Ingredients
- 2 lemons
- 1/4 cup avocado or other neutral-tasting oil
- 1 1/2 cups uncooked quinoa
- 2 Tablespoons rice wine vinegar
- 2 teaspoons honey
- salt & freshly ground pepper
- 1 whole shallot, thinly sliced (or 1/4 of a medium red onion)
- 1 medium carrot, shredded
- 1 cup diced cucumber
- 1 cup diced jicama
- 1/2 cup raw cashews (or peanuts, if you prefer)
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- 1/2 cup fresh mint, chopped
- 1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped
- 1 bunch watercress, tough stems removed, leaves torn (or a couple handfuls of baby spinach)
Instructions
- Remove 2 wide strips of the zest of 1 lemon with a vegetable peeler. Combine 1 strip of zest with oil in a small saucepan over medium heat and cook until the edges of the zest turn slightly golden, about 5 minutes. Let the lemon oil cool. (That's what you have now -- lemon oil. Cool, huh?)
- Meanwhile, cook the quinoa as directed on the package, adding the remaining lemon zest strip to the water.
- Transfer quinoa to a large bowl, discarding the zest, and fluff with a fork. Let cool to room temperature.
- Meanwhile, make the dressing by juicing both lemons into a medium bowl. Whisk in the vinegar, brown sugar, 1 1/4 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp pepper. Keep whisking until sugar dissolves.
- Discard the zest from the cooled lemon oil, then whisk the oil into the dressing. Add the shallots and let it marinate for 15 minutes.
- Add the carrot, cucumber, jicama, nuts, cilantro, mint, basil and watercress/spinach to the bowl with the rice. Add the dressing and gently toss.
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Jeannie
Thursday 26th of July 2012
I have made this recipe 3x's now I love it so much!!! But have been substituting what I have for the vegetables. I never buy jicama so have used onions, sugar snaps, cauliflower arugula,and yellow squash. Avocado and pine nuts sound good but add good fat also I had seasoned rice vinegar so I did not add the sweetener. Thank you so much!! May you and your family be blessed on this and every day.
Gwen @SimplyHealthyFamily
Sunday 8th of July 2012
I just got back from an Alaskan cruise so I have 10 extra pounds to lose! I don't really get the paleo "diet" while this quinoa looks like it belongs, I've seen muffins,cake ect on other sites listed as Paleo. I understand it to be a cave man diet. Is this just a way of saying eat natural foods? If so, how is cake paleo regardless of the ingredients do you think?
Natalie
Sunday 8th of July 2012
And... the amount of sweetener in "paleo baked goods" is totally unnatural as well. Yes, honey is a natural sweetener, but I doubt Grog would have come across those amounts while foraging.
Natalie
Sunday 8th of July 2012
Ah, you've targeted my biggest peeve with so-called "Paleo" recipes. The Paleo diet is whole foods diet without grains, dairy, legumes, or sugar. Some people take a lot of liberty with that and make a muffin (or cookies, or a cake) from all "paleo" ingredients and call it a paleo muffin. The idea of a muffin isn't paleo at all. I'd just call it a grain-free, dairy-free muffin. Those "faux paleo" recipes do come in handy sometimes when craving baked goods, though.
P.S. A cruise!! How fun!!
Karen | The Food Charlatan
Monday 18th of June 2012
I used to not understand the whole "midnight snack" thing. As if people really get up in the middle of the night for food, I thought. And then I started nursing. And then I started to get up in the middle of the night to eat...like every night. Those 3am feedings were almost always feedings for myself as well. And now I feel like livestock, referring to my midnight snack as a feeding. PS, I need to hop on the quinoa train, this looks delish.
Natalie
Tuesday 19th of June 2012
Ditto. It wasn't until I was pregnant and/or nursing did I understand it, too. Use that excuse while you have it though! :)
Caralyn @ glutenfreehappytummy
Saturday 16th of June 2012
looks delicious! i love the combo of herbs!
Bree
Friday 15th of June 2012
Looks delish!