Rice Free Quinoa Avocado Salad with Turmeric Lemon Dressing
Quinoa steps in as the perfect grain-free-adjacent base here, delivering that satisfying, hearty texture without a single grain of rice in sight. Once the quinoa is fluffy and cooled, it gets tossed with crisp cucumber, juicy cherry tomatoes, red onion, and a generous handful of fresh parsley and mint — the kind of combination that tastes bright and alive in every bite. The real star, though, is the turmeric lemon dressing: olive oil, fresh lemon juice, zest, ginger, and garlic all whisked together into something deeply golden and boldly flavored. Creamy diced avocado and crunchy dry-roasted pumpkin seeds get folded in at the end, adding richness and a satisfying snap that rounds out every forkful. It's the kind of salad that works as a light lunch, a meal-prep staple, or a showstopping side at a dinner party — and it comes together with nothing more than a saucepan and a mixing bowl. Because every ingredient is whole and straightforward, you never have to second-guess what's in it.
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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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