Macadamia Free Quinoa Avocado Salad with Turmeric Lemon Dressing
This vibrant grain salad is a celebration of fresh, wholesome ingredients — creamy avocado, juicy cherry tomatoes, crisp cucumber, and fluffy quinoa all tossed together in a bold turmeric-lemon dressing that's bright, earthy, and just a little bit addictive. The dressing comes together in minutes by whisking olive oil, fresh lemon juice, zest, turmeric, ginger, and garlic into a gorgeous golden emulsion that coats every bite. Pumpkin seeds add a satisfying crunch and a nutty depth without any of the tree nut concerns that can make salads like this tricky to navigate. Many store-bought grain salads and restaurant versions sneak in macadamia nuts or mixed nut toppings, so making this one from scratch gives you full control over every ingredient. The trick to getting the texture just right is spreading the cooked quinoa out to cool before assembling — it keeps the avocado from going mushy and the whole salad from turning soggy. Fresh parsley and mint lift everything with an herby brightness that makes this feel as elegant as it does effortless. It works beautifully as a light lunch, a make-ahead side, or a colorful addition to any spread.
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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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