Last updated on December 30th, 2019 at 10:56 am
This tasty avocado quinoa salad is different and it’s becoming my favorite! If you have some quinoa in your fridge you can make this healthy vegan recipe in about 10 minutes for dinner or lunch.
I don’t know what it is, but lately all I’m craving is salads (well and smoothies). Which is a great thing, but seriously…who am I pretending to be? A saint? Beyoncé? That would be cool. What happened to the parmesan pizza I was obsessed with 2 weeks ago and was ordering every night? I even went to the pizza place this weekend, fully intending to order and just left like a weirdo. Disappointment to humanity.
I asked for the menu and all. Then I went home and made myself a salad.
Well, if you’re brave enough to go for a salad instead of something warm today – I have a super tasty avocado quinoa salad recipe that I’m in love with and want to share.
Now, it’s true – I have two other avocado quinoa salad recipes on the blog – one with tomato and cucumber and one with herbs and olives. This one is very different. It’s got basil in it, which is weird because it also has tamari sauce in it, and it’s got cucumbers and carrots and somehow it all works so well. There’s something about combining avocado and quinoa in one meal that makes me melt. There. There’s something I never, ever thought I’d say.
I tried to make this recipe pretty for the pictures, but I really got lazy and hungry while making it, so decided to not ribbon the cucumbers all the way as I did with this salad. Instead, I just chopped them as if I was playing in a horror movie. I did have the patience for the carrot though…
Not pretty, but spoiler alert: still tastes the same! It’s delicious, healthy and it’s gluten-free.
How To Cook Quinoa
Preparing quinoa is similar to preparing rice. Make sure to wash it a couple of times before cooking. I usually cook it in a pot with quinoa to water ratio of 1:2, at medium-high heat. Cover with a lid, bring to a boil. Then reduce heat, cook for 4-5 minutes until you don’t see any more water above the quinoa. Turn the heat off and let it sit like that for 10 minutes, still covered with the lid. Then you’re ready and can make any salad you want. Since you’re already here, just make this one.
The Best Avocado Quinoa Salad Recipe - Vegan And Easy
This healthy avocado quinoa salad with cucumbers, basil and sesame seeds is vegan and gluten-free! Filling and super tasty this easy quinoa salad is perfect for lunch or dinner!
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cup cooked quinoa
- 1 avocado, medium/large
- 1 cucumber, chopped or ribboned (or 2 small ones)
- 1 carrot, ribboned/grated
- 2 tbsp parsley, chopped
- handful basil leaves, chopped
- 2 scallions, thinly chopped
- 2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
Dressing
- 1 tbsp tamari sauce
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 tbsp vinegar
- 2 small garlic cloves, minced
Instructions
- For the dressing: In a small bowl whisk together tamari, sesame oil, vinegar and garlic.
- Ribbon the carrot and cucumber using a peeler - you basically peel the vegetable until there's nothing left to peel. If you're feeling lazy, you can also grate the carrot and chop the cucumber as I did at the end for this recipe.
- In a salad bowl combine cooked quinoa, the avocado (peeled, seeded and chopped), cucumbers, carrot, parsley and basil.
- Mix in the dressing and top with the roasted sesame seeds.
- Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
2Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 472Total Fat: 28gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 23gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 541mgCarbohydrates: 47gFiber: 14gSugar: 4gProtein: 12g
I hope you enjoyed your weekend and I hope you enjoy this salad as well, if you decide to make it. Let me know if you liked it and what changes you made to make it fit your preferences!
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