Celery Free Quinoa Avocado Salad with Turmeric Lemon Dressing
This vibrant grain salad is a celebration of fresh, bold flavors — creamy avocado, juicy cherry tomatoes, crisp cucumber, and fragrant herbs all tossed with fluffy quinoa and a golden turmeric-lemon dressing that tastes like sunshine. The dressing alone is worth making on repeat: bright citrus, warm ginger, and earthy turmeric come together in a way that coats every ingredient beautifully. Crunchy dry-roasted pumpkin seeds and a double hit of fresh parsley and mint give the whole bowl a satisfying complexity that goes way beyond your average grain salad. Every single ingredient here is naturally free from celery and celery derivatives, so there's no need to scrutinize labels or swap anything out — just cook, toss, and eat. The trick to getting the texture right is letting the quinoa cool completely before combining, which keeps the avocado from going mushy and the vegetables from wilting. It's the kind of dish that looks impressive enough for a dinner party but comes together with minimal fuss and a single saucepan. Serve it right away for the best contrast of creamy, crunchy, and fresh.
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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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