Quinoa Vegetable Salad with Tahini Dressing

This quinoa salad recipe turns into a powerhouse of nutrients and fiber when filled with kale, snap peas and other veggies, all toss with a tahini dressing. 102 calories and 3 Weight Watchers Freestyle SP

Quinoa is a staple in our house, which is one of the reasons I like to make big batches and freeze it in portion sizes to use in salads, soups and one-pot meals. There's just one problem...I love the nutty taste of quinoa so much that I find myself eating far more than my share when I use it in salads.

So, that got me thinking. Maybe I should come up with a quinoa salad where the quinoa is a complementary ingredient rather than the star of the show. And so this salad was born.

This was one of those salads that came together simply by rummaging through the fridge for ingredients. I still had some kale left over from my Spicy Sauteed Kale and Kale, Toasted Almond & Orange Salad, so in that went, along with chopped cucumber, tomato and snap peas. I learned a long time ago that kale salads are far more enjoyable when the leaves are massaged under warm water, then drained well. This softens the leaves and makes them easier to digest. Plus, they just feel better in your mouth when they're tender.

I do adore a good lemony quinoa salad, so I squeezed some fresh lemon juice and whisked it up with some tahini (sesame paste) and agave nectar (you could use honey instead, but the salad won't be vegan).

If you want to make this into a dinner salad, serve up a double portion and top the salad with seared tofu or beans (to keep things vegan) or cooked shrimp and chicken (for the rest of us omnivores).

Other vegan side dish recipes:

Cookin' Canuck's Easy Roasted Mushrooms with Rosemary & Garlic
Cookin' Canuck's Tart Cherry Glazed Roasted Root Vegetables
Averie Cooks' Tropical Chickpea Salad
Fit Mitten Kitchen's Stovetop Shredded Brussels Sprouts with Lemon Pepper Cashew Dressing

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Quinoa Vegetable Salad with Tahini Dressing

Quinoa Vegetable Salad with Tahini Dressing…A vegan salad that’s packed with flavor and plenty of veggies! 102 calories and 3 Weight Watcher Freestyle SP

5 from 1 vote

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Course: Salads

Cuisine: Middle Eastern

Keyword: Gluten Free, Quinoa Salad, Vegan

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes minutes

Servings: 7 Cups

Calories: 90kcal

Author: Dara Michalski | Cookin' Canuck

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Ingredients

• 4 cups chopped kale
• 1 ½ cup chopped cucumber
• 1 ½ cup snap peas trimmed
• 1 cup chopped tomatoes
• 1 cup cooked quinoa

The Dressing:

• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons tahini
• 1 tablespoon warm water
• 1 teaspoon agave nectar

Instructions

• Place the kale in a colander and run warm water over it while massaging the leaves until the kale softens.
• In a large bowl, combine the kale, cucumber, snap peas, tomatoes and quinoa. Toss with the dressing. Serve.

The dressing:

• In a small glass bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, tahini, water and agave nectar. If the tahini is difficult to whisk, microwave the mixture on HIGH for about 10 seconds.

Notes

Weight Watchers Points: 2 (Freestyle SmartPoints), 2 (Old SmartPoints), 2 (Points+)

Nutrition

Serving: 1Cup | Calories: 90kcal | Carbohydrates: 13.2g | Protein: 3.6g | Fat: 3.1g | Saturated Fat: 0.3g | Sodium: 17.5mg | Fiber: 2.6g | Sugar: 2.8g

Tried this recipe?If you make this recipe, I'd love to see it on Instagram! Just use the hashtag #COOKINCANUCK and I'll be sure to find it.

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