Spicy Peanut Quinoa Salad
Oh hi everyone. It’s Friday! I know you know that. It’s been a short week, but sometimes short weeks are the longest, right.? Actually it has been a super short week since Mr. Briar and I are taking tomorrow off to go on a little PNW adventure. If you follow me on instagram you’ll get a sneak peak!
Oh, and speaking of social media (nice segue?) I’m on Facebook now! Well, Fox and Briar is on Facebook. I haven’t been on Facebook for awhile. I’ve heard that it has changed and now no one ever sees anyone’s posts anymore, is that true? Either way, click HERE to go to my brand new Facebook page and see if you can be the first person to like my page. Because, seriously, I have one like. And it’s me. I need your help guys.
Alright. Let’s talk about this salad. I have a hard time calling things that are not primarily lettuce “salads”, but apparently that is the correct definition. I’m not going to quote the dictionary here, you’re just going to have to believe me. I started making this a few years ago as an alternative to a pasta salad. The quinoa is a nice replacement because it is hearty and full of protein. I like to use sturdy vegetables like purple cabbage, bell peppers and carrots because they hold up nicely in the peanut sauce for a long time. The green onions do just fine too, and I like the more subtle onion flavor that they give. Plus, I don’t know if you noticed, but those veggies = rainbow. And I like that.
ALSO, this just so happens to be vegan AND gluten free if you use GF soy sauce. So it basically covers almost all dietary needs. And it makes a pretty huge portion. Mr. Briar and I usually eat it as a full meal, and in that case it makes about six servings. If you are using it as a side it will make more. I like to make this when I know I am going to be busy so that I have some dinners and lunches ready to go, because this actually keeps really well in the fridge for a few days.
The dressing for this is almost identical to the Cashew Sauce for the Rainbow Zoodles, except with peanut butter. Also, for some reason it seemed to need a little more sugar to sweeten it up. These things are so subjective, I almost always make little tweaks to this sauce when I make it. I suggest starting with one tablespoon of brown sugar and then tasting it. Then add the second tablespoon if it needs it.
This really gets better if it is allowed to sit for a little bit. I try to prepare this in advance so that it has at least an hour to let all the flavors blend.
Spicy Peanut Quinoa Salad
This easy Spicy Peanut Quinoa Salad is vegan and gluten free and makes a healthy meal or side dish.
Pin
Rate
Servings: 6 -8 Servings
Calories: 296kcal
Ingredients
For The Salad:
- 1 cup quinoa uncooked
- 2 cups purple cabbage finely sliced (I usually use 1/4-1/3 of a head of cabbage)
- 1/2 red bell pepper finely sliced
- 4 green onions finely sliced
- 2 carrots grated or julienned.
- salt to taste
- spicy peanut sauce see below
For The Sauce:
- ½ cup peanut butter
- ¼ cup low sodium soy sauce*
- ¼ cup rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1-2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- 4 garlic cloves finely minced or pressed
- 2-3 teaspoons freshly grated ginger
- 1-2 teaspoons chili garlic sauce
- 1 cup fresh basil optional, but good
Instructions
- Cook quinoa according to package instructions.
- Combine all ingredients for peanut sauce in a food processor and blend until smooth.
- Add cooked quinoa, cabbage, bell pepper, green onions and carrots to a large bowl, toss to combine.
- Add peanut sauce to other ingredients and stir until everything is coated in sauce.
- Taste and add salt if needed.
- Allow to sit for at least an hour before serving to allow flavors to meld. Can be served cold or at room temperature.
- Store leftovers in the refrigerator.
Notes
*If gluten free, be sure to use gluten free soy sauce!
Nutrition
Calories: 296kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Sodium: 520mg | Potassium: 518mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 4330IU | Vitamin C: 34.4mg | Calcium: 61mg | Iron: 2.5mg
