Yeast Free Quinoa Avocado Salad with Turmeric Lemon Dressing
This vibrant grain salad is a celebration of fresh produce and bold, golden flavor — the kind of bowl that looks impressive but comes together with minimal fuss. Creamy diced avocado, juicy cherry tomatoes, crisp cucumber, and a double hit of fresh herbs make every forkful interesting, while dry-roasted pumpkin seeds add a satisfying crunch. The real star is the turmeric lemon dressing, whisked together with ginger, garlic, and lemon zest for a bright, anti-inflammatory punch that ties everything together beautifully. Every single ingredient here is naturally free from yeast, so there's no need to scrutinize labels or swap anything out — it just works as written. Fluffy quinoa serves as the base, cooked simply with water and salt and then cooled before tossing so the dressing clings rather than wilts. This is the kind of recipe that travels well to a lunch meeting, holds up as a make-ahead weekday meal, and genuinely satisfies without feeling like a compromise. If you've been hunting for a salad that's as nourishing as it is craveable, this is 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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