This Crispy Quinoa Spring Salad is the perfect spring time salad. (I made it for brunch last weekend, dinner a few nights ago and probably lunch tomorrow!)
I've recently been making salad dressings in bulk. Depending on the week, I make a different dressing and then use it in just about everything on a daily basis. I've done the Balsamic Vin, Basil Vin, Cilantro Vin... the list just goes on and on. Last week it was all about this Green Goddess dressing and it was PERFECTION on this Quinoa Spring Salad I whipped up after my CSA delivery. There's avocado in the dressing and in the salad because more is more!
And get ready to have your mind blown - crispy quinoa. It's going to be your latest obsession. It's more fried than toasted but it's crispy and it's so freaking good, especially on a Quinoa Spring Salad. It gives it that extra crunch and makes it slightly more filling. Basically a full meal in a salad - just the way I like it!
Crispy Quinoa Spring Salad
Ingredients
Green Goddess Salad Dressing
- 2 scallions roughly chopped (white and light green parts only)
- 1 medium ripe avocado
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice plus 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 to 2 tablespoons champagne vinegar
- 6-8 tablespoon water plus more as needed
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 cup fresh basil chopped
- ⅓ cup fresh parsley chopped
- 4 tablespoons snipped chives
- 1 clove garlic
- Kosher salt and freshly cracked to taste
For the Salad
- ½ cup cooked quinoa
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 3-4 heads little gem lettuce
- 2 Easter Radishes sliced
- 2 Avocado sliced
- 1 small log goat cheese crumbled
- Fresh basil
- Fresh chives
- Fresh Tarragon
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
For the dressing:
- Combine everything in a food processor or high powered blender and blend until smooth. Add a few extra tablespoons of water if you need to smooth it out.
- Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed. Use immediately, or store in an airtight refrigerated container for up to 4 days.
For the Salad:
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Add the cooked quinoa and toast for 3-4 minutes until golden brown and crunchy. Remove and set aside to cool.
- Arrange the remaining salad ingredients in a large serving bowl. Once the quinoa has cooled, add that to the salad. Drizzle with the dressing and serve.
Delicious! I found the salad dressing to be a little tart so I added a dash of honey and it was perfect. Very light, perfect for spring (goes great with grilled chicken!)
Will the flavor be hugely affected by using dried tarragon in the salad instead of fresh?
Could you recommend a good cheese sub for my goat cheese-hating husband? Unfortunately I like him so I have to sub the cheese instead of the husband
feta would be delish! and you could just omit the tarragon! or use 1/3 of the amount but dried
A friend made this for supper club and we all LOVED it! So delicious!
Hi there - is it a half cup of dry quinoa cooked or a half cup of cooked quinoa? Thank you!
cooked