10-Minute Spicy Moroccan Quinoa Salad
May 07, 2015 in dairy-free, epicurious, recipes, salads, taste, vegan, vegetarian, chickpeas, dressing, international. Read the original on: Simply Quinoa
Fast and easy. That’s how we like it around here, right?
Judging from your response to my 10-minute quinoa fried rice recipe, I’ve realized we have yet another thing in common: the desire to have a tasty, healthy meal ready for us as quickly as humanly possible. Just another reason why we’re friends.
So I’m bringing back the 10-minute goodness, and today it’s comin’ at ya in the form of a dreamy moroccan quinoa salad.Â
We’re starting with a base of fresh spinach, then adding julienned carrots, chopped carrots, raw cashews, thinly sliced green onions, chickpeas and quinoa of course. It’s a glorious combination of crunch, sweetness and fill-you-up protein.
But quite honestly, it’s the dressing that makes this salad so sensational.
![Vegan Moroccan Quinoa Salad with chickpeas + a spicy tahini dressing [gluten-free]](https://d2zcsajde7b23y.cloudfront.net/m/59c91b82503ad60536f27dc09fd7075013ed98de.jpg)
When it comes to dressings, I’m all about creamy. The creamier the better in fact. So typically, that means I like my dressing to have a base of either cashews or tahini. Tahini is my go-to since I love love LOVE the flavor, and I find it pairs nicely with more eclectic and international flavors. <– my fave
This dressing is a simple blend of tahini, lemon juice and apple cider vinegar with a bunch of fun spices added in: coriander, cumin, turmeric, cinnamon and cayenne pepper. The flavor profile is pretty complex, with a lightness from the coriander and cumin, a soothing quality from the turmeric, warmth from the cinnamon and heat from the cayenne. All combined together and they’re turned into one kick ass dressing.
I’m totally keeping a bottle of this in my fridge to put on EVERYTHING.
![Easy Moroccan Quinoa Salad - made with a spicy tahini dressing and all comes together in under 10 minutes! [gluten-free + vegan]](https://d2zcsajde7b23y.cloudfront.net/m/9546772dc7c13ab6d426e6b3951a3234cdab10a7.jpg)
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10-Minute Spicy Moroccan Quinoa Salad
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
Yield: 2 large, 4 small servings
Ingredients
for the salad:
4 cups chopped spinach
1 large carrot, julienned or shredded
4 - 6 medjool dates
2 green onions
1 cup cooked quinoa
1 cup cooked chickpeas, drained + rinsed
1/2 cup raw cashew pieces
1 batch of spicy turmeric-tahini dressing
for the dressing
2 tablespoons tahini
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 teaspoon coriander
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/8 - 1/4 teaspoon cayenne (depending on the level of spice you like)
Pinch of cinnamon
Salt + pepper to taste
Water as needed
Instructions
- Add the spinach to a large mixing bowl and set aside.
- Prepare your other ingredients, starting with the carrots. Using a mandolin slicer, julienne peeler or a box grater to get long strips (about 1" long). Add these to the bowl.
- Next, pit and chop the medjool dates into quarters (or a little smaller) and add them to the bowl.
- Thinly slice the green onions, using both the white and green parts, and add those to the bowl as well.
- Finally, add the remaining salad ingredients to the mixing bowl and set aside while you whip up the dressing.
- Combine all dressing ingredients (minus water) into a bowl. Whisk together until incorporated and smooth. The dressing will be too thick here, so add just enough water so that it's pourable - start with 1/2 teaspoon and add in 1/2 teaspoon increments until you get the desired consistency. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
- Gently toss the salad ingredients together to combine. Pour dressing over salad and toss again until everything is evenly coated.
- Transfer to serving dishes, garnish with a few more green onions and enjoy!
3.1
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The post 10-Minute Spicy Moroccan Quinoa Salad appeared first on Simply Quinoa.
Read the original on: Simply Quinoa
Simply Quinoa, Alyssa Rimmer
I'm Alyssa, the writer and photographer behind the gluten-free website Simply Quinoa. My passion is creating wholesome, nutrient-rich recipes all with a little quinoa twist.
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