Quinoa Salad with Spicy Peanut Dressing

I love quinoa! Although it’s served like rice, it’s actually not a grain and has 8 grams of protein per serving. You can always substitute it for rice and this Quinoa Salad with Peanut Dressing is a great crowd-pleaser.

Quinoa is so easy to prepare, as well, taking just 15 minutes to cook. I have several quinoa recipes including this quinoa pilaf recipe. There’s also these salad recipes, Quinoa Salad with Spinach and Quinoa Salad with Mango Dressing.

Sometimes, vegan, plant-based eaters feel that they should only eat veggies and fruits, but eating grains or quinoa helps fill you up and provide energy and help keep you satisfied.

After cooking the quinoa, you only need to chop the broccoli, red onion, and cucumber and open and drain a can of beans, which also add protein and you’re almost done with the recipe.

I hope you’re willing to experiment a little as you can add other vegetables, too, like cherry tomatoes or cauliflower and you can mix up the greens, as well.

Add more whole grains to your meals with these recipes:

• Green Goddess Grain Bowl
• Whole Grain Muesli
• Moroccan Chickpea Vegetable Tagine

The dressing is quite strong by itself, but when you add it to this much quinoa salad, it is just right.

I’d love to hear your feedback in the comments below for this Quinoa Salad with Spicy Peanut Dressing! If you have a photo, post it on my Facebook page, tag me using the hashtag #plantbasedcooking in your caption, and I won’t miss it!

This recipe is Plantricious Friendly because it meets the following guidelines.

The Trusted Seal for
Plant-Based Nutrition

• Must be whole food plant-based, contains no animal products
• May be minimally processed
• No added oil
• No added sugars
• No artificial additives or preservatives
• *Plantricious Friendly foods may include but are not limited to condiments, fermented foods, soups, sauces, beverages, dressings, marinades, etc.

Print Recipe

4.50 from 12 votes

Quinoa Salad with Spicy Peanut Dressing

This quinoa salad with peanut dressing is a great crowd-pleaser and a make-ahead salad to keep on hand for the week. Serve atop a lettuce salad or as a side for a burst of flavor.

Prep Time20 mins

Cook Time15 mins

Total Time35 mins

Servings: 8 people

1/21x2x3x

Equipment

• Cutting board
• Knife
• Stainless Steel Pot Set
• Glass Mixing Bowls with Lids
• Whisk

Ingredients

• 1 cup quinoa
• 2 cups water
• 1/2 red onion chopped
• 1/2 medium cucumber seeds removed and chopped 1/4″
• 1/2 cup black beans low sodium (or 1/2 cup homemade)
• 1 medium carrot cut into julienne strips or grated
• 1 stalk broccoli chopped 1/4″
• 1 hand full of arugula chopped
• ¼ cup cilantro mint, or basil chopped
• 3 Tbl smooth peanut butter without salt
• 3 Tbl rice vinegar
• 3 Tbl low-sodium tamari (or low-sodium soy sauce)
• ½ tsp hot red pepper flakes
• 1 clove garlic minced

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Instructions

• Bring 2 cups of water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add quinoa and simmer briskly until quinoa is tender, about 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine peanut butter, vinegar, soy sauce, hot red pepper flakes, and garlic. Add enough hot tap water (about 2 tablespoons) to thin the mixture to sauce consistency.
• When quinoa is ready, transfer it to the bowl, along with the veggies, arugula, and cilantro, and toss to combine. If the dressing seems too thick, add a little water to thin,
• Refrigerated for 30 minutes to intensify the flavor.

Notes

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Quinoa Salad with Spicy Peanut Dressing

Amount per Serving

Calories

146

% Daily Value*

Fat

 

4.6

g

7

%

Saturated Fat

 

0.8

g

5

%

Sodium

 

253

mg

11

%

Carbohydrates

 

20.8

g

7

%

Fiber

 

3.8

g

16

%

Sugar

 

1.8

g

2

%

Protein

 

6.1

g

12

%

Vitamin A

 

250

IU

5

%

Vitamin C

 

26.4

mg

32

%

Calcium

 

40

mg

4

%

Iron

 

1.6

mg

9

%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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