Quinoa Salad with Raisins
This quinoa salad with raisins is loaded with quinoa and chickpeas for extra protein and dressed in a bright and flavorful cilantro almond dressing.
Servings: 6
Ingredients
Cilantro-Almond Dressing
- 1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 garlic clove minced
- 1/4 cup slivered almonds
- 1 packed cup cilantro leaves and stems
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon sweet smoked paprika
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- sea salt and freshly ground pepper
Instructions
- Spray a large skillet with olive oil, add the almonds and toast over moderate heat, stirring, until golden, about 5 minutes. Let cool.
- In a food processor, combine the lemon juice with the minced garlic and let stand for 15 minutes. Transfer half of the almonds to the food processor. Add the cilantro, cumin, smoked paprika and cayenne pepper and pulse until chopped. Add the olive oil and process to a chunky paste. Season with salt and pepper; transfer to a large bowl.
- Add the chickpeas, carrots, quinoa, and raisins to the bowl and toss.
- Garnish with the remaining almonds and serve.
- If you want to make the carrot salad ahead of time, it can be refrigerated overnight. Garnish with the almonds just before serving.
Notes
- Protein – The chickpeas and quinoa do add a good amount of plant-based protein to this salad but you could absolutely add a grilled protein to this salad to make it even more filling.
- Raisins – The raisins are what takes this salad to the next level, in my opinion. If you're not a raisin fan you could swap in dates, dried cherries, prunes or another dried fruit.
- Avocado – Want to add a little creaminess and healthy fats to your salad? Add in some chopped avocado.
Nutrition
Serving: 1/6 of recipe | Calories: 344kcal | Carbohydrates: 50g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 14g | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 11g