Vegan Quinoa Avocado Salad with Turmeric Lemon Dressing
This vibrant salad is the kind of bowl that makes plant-based eating feel genuinely exciting rather than like a compromise. Fluffy quinoa forms a hearty base, loaded up with creamy avocado, juicy cherry tomatoes, cool cucumber, and a double hit of fresh herbs — parsley and mint together give it a brightness that's hard to put down. The real star is the turmeric lemon dressing, which blends warm spice from ground ginger and turmeric with sharp citrus and garlic into something bold, golden, and completely craveable. Crunchy dry-roasted pumpkin seeds folded in at the end add texture and a satisfying nuttiness that rounds out every bite. Every single ingredient here is naturally plant-based, so there's no swapping, substituting, or label-checking required — just whole, clean food that comes together beautifully. The technique of spreading the quinoa out to cool before dressing it is a small but smart step that keeps the salad from turning soggy or wilted. It works equally well as a main or a generous side, and the flavors only get better as everything sits together.
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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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