A healthy and easy vegan chopped salad with quinoa that you can make in just 25 minutes.
Hey Foodies,
I know it’s been a while since my last vegan recipe and today I am going to make up for that with a tasty and healthy vegan chopped salad with quinoa.
And since I recently became a Meatless Monday blogger, you’re going to see more vegetarian recipes on my blog and social media. Especially on Mondays 🙂
The good news is that this vegan chopped salad is also perfect for non-vegans because it’s so filling and nourishing that even the most carnivores of us will love it.
And if it’s still not filling enough for some of you, it will make an amazing side dish for meat, like a whole roasted chicken for instance.
Moreover, it is easy to make (just 25 minutes) and great for meal-planning.
I topped it with a maple syrup dressing that’s truly a game-changer. And I’ll give you the recipe for that too, along with a few other tips, to help you make the best vegan chopped salad with quinoa.
But before going to the tips and tricks, let me tell you some useful info about quinoa, the special ingredient in this healthy chopped salad recipe.
More Healthy Salads:
What is Quinoa
Quinoa is an edible seed rich in protein, fiber, vitamins and minerals. Even though it’s not technically a grain, quinoa is used in the same way as whole grains and it’s sometimes referred to as a superfood or super grain. (Source: Wikipedia).
And this is because it contains more protein, fiber and vitamins than normal grains like wheat, corn, rice, or oats.
Plus, it’s naturally gluten-free and has many health benefits.
Now let’s see what a quinoa salad is.
What is a quinoa salad
Although it’s super healthy, we just can’t eat quinoa by itself. Hence, it is often served in combination with other foods, especially in salads.
Basically, any salad that has quinoa is called a quinoa salad. The accompanying ingredients can vary, from veggies to meat.
Related: Chicken Salad With Quinoa And Roasted Veggies
It really goes perfectly with many salads, so no matter what your favorite is, you can always add it a cup of cooked quinoa.
Now that you know more about it, let’s see how easy it is to make vegan chopped salad with quinoa.
How to make vegan chopped salad with quinoa – Best Tips & Tricks
1. Rinse quinoa before cooking
These seeds have a natural coating that contains saponins which makes them taste bitter. Hence, most commercial quinoa is pre-rinsed to remove the coating.
But as a rule of thumb, it’s best to give it another rinse before cooking because some bitter seeds might still make their way into the box and from there into your food.
And nobody likes a bitter chopped salad, no matter how healthy it is.
2. How to adapt this vegan quinoa chopped salad recipe to your taste.
You can change the veggies in this vegan chopped salad with your favorites, just make sure to chop them into similar sizes. This way, it will be easier to toss everything together.
And here are a few that you can replace them with: carrots, zucchini, avocado, spinach, red onions.
As for the dressing, I don’t think you should adjust any of the ingredients or quantities as it’s super delish, vegan and gluten-free.
Try it and if it’s not exactly to your taste, just change it with your favorite dressing.
3. Meal-plan with vegan quinoa chopped salad.
This vegan quinoa chopped salad recipe is perfect for meal-planning.
Make a large batch and store it in the fridge, in airtight containers, for up to 5 days. But remember to keep the salad and dressing separate and only mix them together before serving.
Otherwise, the vegan quinoa chopped salad will get soggy and won’t last that long.
And if you want to diversify your meal-planning, here are some other recipes that you can use:
Finally, let’s go through the takeaways:
- Â Always rinse quinoa before cooking even if it was pre-rinsed by the producer.
- Â You can change the veggies in this vegan quinoa chopped salad recipe with your favorites.
- Â This vegan chopped salad with quinoa lasts up to 5 days, which makes it perfect for meal planning. But keep it separately from the dressing and only mix them before serving.
All that being said, I am sure you are now ready to make the best vegan quinoa chopped salad ever.
So let’s get to it, shall we?
And after making it, don’t forget to post it on Insta with @theblondelish.
Also, if you like this recipe video and want to see more, please Subscribe to my YouTube Channel.
Vegan Quinoa Chopped Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup (170g) quinoa
- 1 1/2 cups (375ml) water
- 1 1/2 cups (225g) grape or cherry tomatoes - cut into quarters
- 1 1/2 cups (180g) diced cucumber
- 1 large yellow bell pepper - diced
- 1/4 red cabbage - chopped
- 3 celery stalks - chopped
- 3-4 green onions - sliced
MAPLE SYRUP DRESSING:
- 1/4 cup (60ml) apple cider vinegar
- 1/3 cup (80ml) olive oil
- 2 Tbsp pure maple syrup
- 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper - to your taste
Instructions
- Place all dressing ingredients in a jar. Shake until well combined. Refrigerate until ready to use.
- Rinse the quinoa under cool, running water, then drain. Place it in a pot, add water, sea salt and bring to a boil.
- Lower the heat and simmer, covered, for 15 minutes. Then take it off of the heat and let it chill for 5 minutes (still covered).
- Once the quinoa is cooked, fluff it gently with a fork and let it chill until you chop all the veggies.
- To assemble the salad, add all the ingredients to a large bowl. Pour the dressing over and toss to combine.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
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