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 with Lemon Basil Dressing

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

Equipment

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

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!