Spring Quinoa Salad with Sesame-Maple Dressing

This spring quinoa salad with sesame-maple dressing is as addictive as it is colorful. Fluffy quinoa is tossed with sugar snap peas, carrots, radishes, cilantro, and a sweet ‘n’ salty sesame-maple dressing. This simple salad comes together in about 30 minutes and is ideal for lunch or a light dinner.

This salad requires just nine ingredients and about 30 minutes of time to make, but don’t let its simplicity fool you.

It’s brimming with flavor and an ultra appealing crunch from all those spring vegetables.

And it’s one of those salads you won’t be able to stop eating. You know the type? The kind that elicits frantic fork-to-mouth motions as if you’re shoveling food into your mouth.

To make this spring quinoa salad, you’ll start by cooking up a cup of quinoa.

The trick to making quinoa that holds up well in a salad is to avoid overcooking it and to add just the right amount of water. Simply rinse the quinoa, bring  1 3/4 cups water to a boil, add the quinoa, return to a boil, and cook for 12 minutes.

Then, remove the pot from the heat, fluff the quinoa with a fork, cover, and let it stand for five minutes to absorb any lingering water or moisture.

While the quinoa cooks, you’ll prepare the remaining salad ingredients:

Trim and dice a handful of radishes.

Peel and julienne a few carrots.

Dice a cup of sugar snap peas.

Chop a handful of cilantro leaves.

Then, whip up a quick sesame-maple dressing.

Simply whisk together rice vinegar (or ACV), maple syrup, sesame oil, and tamari.

Once the quinoa is ready, transfer it to a large serving bowl along with the vegetables.

Pour the dressing over top and toss to coat.

This salad will keep in the refrigerator for up to two days (if it lasts that long in your home—it tends to exist for only a handful of hours in ours).

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Spring Quinoa Salad with Sesame-Maple Dressing

This spring quinoa salad with sesame-maple dressing is as addictive as it is colorful. Fluffy quinoa is tossed with sugar snap peas, carrots, radishes, cilantro, and a sweet 'n' salty sesame-maple dressing. This simple salad comes together in about 30 minutes and is ideal for lunch or a light dinner during warmer weather months.

Course Salad

Cuisine Gluten-Free, Grain-Free, plant-based, Vegan

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 35 minutes

Servings 3

Author Ashley

Ingredients

Spring Quinoa Salad

• 1 cup quinoa
• 1 3/4 cups water
• 4–6 radishes, trimmed and cut into matchsticks
• 3 medium carrots, peeled and julienned
• 1 cup sugar snap peas, trimmed and diced
• 1/3 cup cilantro leaves, chopped

Sesame-Maple Dressing

• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon reduced-sodium tamari

Instructions

1. Thoroughly rinse the quinoa in a fine-mesh sieve or colander. Then, bring the water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add the quinoa, return to a boil, and cook over medium heat for 12 minutes, uncovered, or until quinoa has absorbed most of the water, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat, fluff with a fork, cover, and let stand for 5 minutes.
2. While the quinoa is cooking, prepare the remaining salad ingredients. Transfer to a large serving bowl.
3. Make the Sesame-Maple Dressing by vigorously whisking the vinegar, maple syrup, sesame oil, and tamari in a small mixing bowl.
4. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to coat.