Barley Free Quinoa Avocado Salad with Turmeric Lemon Dressing
This vibrant salad is built around fluffy quinoa, creamy avocado, and a rainbow of fresh vegetables, all tied together with a golden turmeric-lemon dressing that's bright, earthy, and genuinely addictive. The dressing alone — olive oil, fresh lemon juice, zest, turmeric, ginger, and garlic — is the kind of thing you'll want to drizzle on everything else in your fridge. Crunchy dry-roasted pumpkin seeds and handfuls of fresh parsley and mint give every bite real texture and herbaceous lift. Every single ingredient here is naturally free from barley, so there's no need to scrutinize labels or worry about grain-based fillers sneaking into your bowl. The trick to getting the salad just right is letting the quinoa cool completely before tossing — it keeps the avocado from going mushy and helps the dressing coat each grain evenly. It comes together with minimal cooking and maximum payoff, making it equally at home as a weeknight dinner or something you'd proudly bring to a potluck.
About FigFig is a food discovery app that helps you find foods and recipes that fit your dietary needs. Whether you have food allergies, intolerances, or follow a specific diet, Fig makes it easy to eat with confidence.
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.
Want the full recipe?
Create a Fig account for step-by-step instructions, access to our full recipe library, and more!