Low Sugar Quinoa Avocado Salad with Turmeric Lemon Dressing
This vibrant grain salad is the kind of bowl that looks like it took serious effort but comes together with straightforward, wholesome ingredients. Creamy avocado, juicy cherry tomatoes, crisp cucumber, and fresh herbs all get tossed with fluffy quinoa for a combination that's satisfying without feeling heavy. The real star is the turmeric lemon dressing — bright, golden, and built entirely from olive oil, fresh lemon juice, warm spices, and garlic, with zero sweeteners needed to make it sing. That's the beauty of this recipe: every bit of flavor comes from real ingredients, so there's nothing hidden to second-guess. Toasted pumpkin seeds folded in at the end add a satisfying crunch and a little extra staying power. It works beautifully as a standalone lunch or as a side that holds its own next to just about anything off the grill. If you've been hunting for a salad that's genuinely craveable without leaning on added sugar to get there, this one delivers.
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Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
For the salad
- 1 cup quinoa, rinsed
- 2 cups water
- ¼ tsp salt
- 2 ripe avocados, pitted, peeled, and diced
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 english cucumber, diced
- ¼ cup red onion, finely diced
- ¼ cup fresh parsley, roughly chopped
- ¼ cup fresh mint, roughly chopped
- ¼ cup dry-roasted pumpkin seeds
For the dressing
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice (from about 1½ lemons)
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- ½ tsp ground ginger
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- ¼ tsp salt
Instructions
- 1
Combine the rinsed quinoa, water, and ¼ tsp salt in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook for 15 minutes, until the water is fully absorbed and the quinoa tails have unfurled.
- 2
Remove the saucepan from the heat and let the quinoa steam, covered, for 5 minutes. Uncover, fluff with a fork, and spread onto a large plate or sheet pan to cool for at least 10 minutes, until no longer steaming.
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