Description
This Crunchy Quinoa Salad with Peanut Lime Dressing is the crunchiest, most delicious meal prep salad ever. Packed with quinoa, crisp vegetables, edamame, cashews, and peanuts, all tossed in a creamy, zesty peanut lime dressing. So many textures and flavors going on – you will love this!
Ingredients
Scale
For the Salad:
- ¾ cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed well
- 1⅓ cup water (or vegetable broth)
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped
- 2 medium carrots, peeled and grated
- 1 cup diced cucumber (English or Persian recommended)
- 1 cup shredded red cabbage
- 2 scallions (green onions), thinly sliced (plus extra for serving)
- ¾ cup shelled edamame (cooked or thawed frozen)
- ¼ cup chopped roasted salted cashews (plus extra for serving)
- ¼ cup chopped roasted salted peanuts (plus extra for serving)
- ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro (plus extra for serving)
- Salt, to taste
For the Peanut Lime Dressing:
- ¼ cup creamy natural peanut butter (the drippy kind)
- Juice of 2 limes (about 1/4 cup)
- 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce (or tamari for gluten-free)
- 1 clove garlic, minced or pressed
- 2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger
- 2 teaspoons honey (or maple syrup for vegan)
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons water (or more, to thin if needed)
- Pinch of salt (optional, to taste)
Instructions
- Cook Quinoa: Rinse the ¾ cup of quinoa thoroughly under cold water using a fine-mesh sieve. In a medium saucepan, combine the rinsed quinoa and 1⅓ cups of water (or vegetable broth). Bring to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, stir once, reduce heat to medium-low, cover with a lid, and cook for 15-17 minutes, or until all the liquid is absorbed and the quinoa is tender and fluffy. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, for 5 minutes. Fluff the quinoa with a fork and let it cool completely.
- Make Peanut Lime Dressing (While Quinoa Cooks/Cools): In a medium bowl, whisk together the natural peanut butter, lime juice, rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, minced/pressed garlic, grated ginger, honey (or maple syrup), and toasted sesame oil until smooth. If the dressing is too thick, add water, 1 tablespoon at a time, whisking until it reaches your desired consistency. Taste and season with a pinch of salt if needed (soy sauce is salty).
- Prepare Vegetables and Nuts: While the quinoa is cooking and cooling, chop the red bell pepper, grate the carrots, dice the cucumber, shred the red cabbage, thinly slice the scallions, and chop the cashews, peanuts, and cilantro.
- Assemble Salad: In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooled cooked quinoa, chopped red bell pepper, grated carrots, diced cucumber, shredded red cabbage, sliced scallions, edamame, ¼ cup chopped cashews, ¼ cup chopped peanuts, and ¼ cup chopped cilantro.
- Dress and Toss: Pour the peanut lime dressing over the salad ingredients. Toss well until everything is completely coated.
- Season and Serve: Season the salad with salt to taste and toss again to combine. Serve immediately, or chill for later. Garnish with extra chopped scallions, cilantro, and chopped peanuts and/or cashews.
Notes
- Quinoa: Rinsing quinoa removes its natural saponin coating, which can taste bitter. Ensure it’s cooled before adding to the salad.
- Peanut Butter: Use natural, drippy peanut butter (ingredients: just peanuts and maybe salt) for the best dressing consistency.
- Dressing Consistency: Adjust the amount of water in the dressing to make it as thick or thin as you like.
- Nuts: Roasted salted nuts add great flavor and crunch.
- Make-Ahead/Meal Prep: This salad keeps well in the fridge for a few days, making it great for lunches. For best texture, you can store the dressing separately and add it just before serving, or dress it all at once. The crunch from the nuts is best if added just before serving.
- Storage: Store leftover salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.