Quinoa Salad with Creamy Cashew Herb Dressing
I’m popping in today to highlight some of my favorite plant-based recipes! We get tons of questions about plant-based eating at this time of year. It makes sense – in the last few years, plant-based diets have gotten a lot more press. They’re said to be better for your health and better for the planet. What's not to love?
I'm here just now with one of my new favorites: Quinoa Salad with Creamy Cashew Herb dressing
If you're looking for a new quinoa salad recipe to try, this is it! The best cucumber and avocado version of the traditional dish. It's vegan friendly with its creamy cashew herb dressing that makes any meal deliciously light in taste.
Cucumber Quinoa Salad
Quinoa is the perfect meal prep ingredient. All you need are a few simple ingredients for this yummy cucumber quinoa salad: cooked quinoa, sliced cherry tomatoes, diced purple onion, and chopped fresh parsley. A little olive oil in your pan with some salt and pepper will do!
Quinoa: I personally love to use white quinoa for this salad because it's a great way to add some healthy carbs in the diet. Although, any type will work!
Avocado: find the perfect avocado for this salad so it's nice and creamy! Look for one that is just tender to the touch.
Cucumber: We're cutting our cucumbers into chunks so you get big bursts of crunch and brightness. A bright burst of flavor from the fresh, crisp veggies will leave your mouth watering for more!
Red Onion: I love pairing the cool crunch of raw cucumber with sweet chunks of red onion, for a little contrast in color and taste.
Cream Cashew Dressing: We are going to be tossing the whole salad in an amazing creamy dressing that we make at home!
Is Vegan Quinoa Salad Gluten-Free?
Most of the time, quinoa salad is gluten free. The only ingredients that could have gluten are items like hidden soy sauce and powdered sugar; however, these are typically kept far from where you'd find them in your kitchen pantry. If this sounds too complicated for you to figure out on your own then call a customer service representative at Whole Foods or another grocery store who specializes in vegan food!
Creamy Cashew Herb Dressing
This dressing is SO good and it's crazy simple to make!
Pour all of the following into a blender:
A couple big handfuls of raw cashews
Enough water to cover them
A squeeze of lemon juice
A splash of low-sodium tamari
A clove of garlic
A small handful of cilantro
The dressing is bright, flavorful and full of so much flavor! I was able to make the entire thing in less than 10 minutes. It's easy peasy. All you have to do is simply whizz everything together with a touch of water in your blender until smooth then pour it over your salad and toss it all together.
