Asian Quinoa Crunch Salad
Asian quinoa crunch salad is a colorful, fresh, super crunchy vegetarian salad with bell peppers, snow peas, carrots, mandarin oranges and cashews, plus a killer soy ginger dressing to bring it all together.
Yield: 4 -6 servings
Ingredients
For the salad:
- 1 cup quinoa
- 1 cup chopped yellow bell pepper
- 1 cup matchstick carrots
- 1 cup snow peas, sliced
- 1 cup mandarin orange slices
- ½ cup cashew pieces
- 3 green onions, sliced
For the soy ginger dressing:
- ⅓ cup canola oil
- 3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
- 3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce (see notes)
- 1 ½ tablespoon spicy chile and garlic sauce (see notes)
- 1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger (or sub 1 teaspoon of ground ginger)
Instructions
- Cook the quinoa according to package directions. Fluff then transfer to a large bowl and let cool completely.
- Add the pepper, carrots, snow peas, mandarin oranges, cashes and onions to the quinoa and mix well.
- Make the dressing. Add all of the ingredients to a small jar or container with a tight fitting lid. Cover and shake until everything is very well mixed. (Alternatively, whisk the dressing very well in a bowl.)
- Add the dressing to the quinoa salad, starting with about ⅔rds of the dressing, and mix very well to get the salad completely coated. Serve immediately.
Notes
Quinoa: The quinoa for this recipe will be cooked and then needs to cool completely, so please plan accordingly. You can make it in advance if needed and store it in the refrigerator until you’re ready to assemble the salad.
Bell pepper: I went with a yellow bell pepper for the color, but any sweet bell pepper would work here.
Mandarin oranges: You can use jarred or canned mandarin oranges or use fresh mandarin oranges or clementines for this salad.
Cashews: I love their flavor with this salad, but you could also swap in peanuts if you prefer for the nut.
Dressing: My homemade soy ginger dressing is super easy to make. However, you could use your favorite store-bought Asian style dressing if you’d like.
Soy sauce: I prefer low-sodium soy sauce, but regular would be fine too if that’s what you have. Feel free to substitute tamari to make this recipe gluten-free.
Make-ahead: You can prep this salad ahead, but don't add the cashews or the dressing until you're ready to serve.
Leftovers: This salad will store well for 3-4 days. However, the cashews will get soft as they sit. The veggies stay crunchy though!
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 266kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 16g | Sodium: 402mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 7g
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