Walnut Free Quinoa Avocado Salad with Turmeric Lemon Dressing
This vibrant grain salad is everything you want in a warm-weather bowl — creamy avocado, crisp cucumber, juicy cherry tomatoes, and fluffy quinoa all tossed together with fresh parsley and mint. The real star is the golden turmeric lemon dressing, which brings a bright, earthy warmth that ties every ingredient together beautifully. Pumpkin seeds add a satisfying crunch and a boost of plant-based protein without any tree nut concerns, making this a genuinely safe and delicious option for anyone navigating nut-free eating. Salads like this can sometimes feel like an afterthought, but the layered flavors here — zesty lemon zest, fragrant ginger, a hint of garlic — make it feel intentional and restaurant-worthy. The technique of spreading the quinoa to cool before dressing it is a small but important step that keeps the salad light and fluffy rather than clumped or soggy. It comes together with minimal cooking and straightforward pantry staples, so it works just as well for a quick weeknight dinner as it does for meal prep or a potluck 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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