Dairy Free Quinoa Avocado Salad with Turmeric Lemon Dressing
This vibrant grain salad is the kind of dish that looks like it took serious effort but comes together with surprisingly little fuss. Fluffy quinoa gets tossed with creamy avocado, juicy cherry tomatoes, crisp cucumber, and a double hit of fresh herbs — parsley and mint — that makes every bite feel alive. The real star is the turmeric lemon dressing, a punchy, golden emulsion of olive oil, fresh lemon juice, zest, ginger, and garlic that ties everything together beautifully. Every single ingredient here is naturally free of dairy, so there's no swapping, substituting, or label-checking required — just straightforward, wholesome cooking. Dry-roasted pumpkin seeds folded in at the end add a satisfying crunch that rounds out the textures perfectly. It's bright, filling, and bold enough to hold its own as a main course while still working as a stunning side at any table.
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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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