Asian Dressing Quinoa Salad (Print Version)
Fluffy quinoa with edamame, crisp veggies and a zesty sesame-soy-lime dressing—bright and ready in 35 minutes.
# What You Need:
→ Grains
01 - 1 cup quinoa, uncooked
02 - 2 cups water
→ Vegetables
03 - 1 cup edamame, shelled and thawed if frozen
04 - 1 cup carrots, julienned
05 - 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
06 - 2 spring onions, sliced
07 - 1 cup red cabbage, shredded
08 - 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
→ Asian Dressing
09 - 3 tablespoons soy sauce (use tamari for gluten-free)
10 - 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
11 - 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
12 - 1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup
13 - 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
14 - 1 garlic clove, finely minced
15 - 1 teaspoon sriracha, optional
16 - Juice of 1 lime
→ Toppings
17 - 2 tablespoons roasted unsalted peanuts, chopped
18 - 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
# How To Make:
01 - Place uncooked quinoa in a fine-mesh sieve and rinse thoroughly under cold running water.
02 - Combine quinoa and water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 12 to 15 minutes until all water is absorbed. Remove from heat and let stand covered for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and allow to cool to room temperature.
03 - In a large mixing bowl, combine edamame, julienned carrots, red bell pepper, sliced spring onions, shredded red cabbage, and chopped cilantro.
04 - In a small bowl, whisk together soy sauce, rice vinegar, toasted sesame oil, honey or maple syrup, grated ginger, minced garlic, sriracha if using, and lime juice until emulsified.
05 - Add cooled quinoa to the bowl with vegetables. Drizzle dressing over the mixture and toss gently until everything is evenly coated.
06 - Transfer salad to a serving dish. Sprinkle with chopped roasted peanuts and toasted sesame seeds.
07 - Serve immediately for freshness, or refrigerate for 30 minutes to allow flavors to meld.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- Stirring together the dressing is almost too easy, but the punchy Asian flavors make it taste like you fussed for hours.
- The leftovers hold up perfectly for tomorrow’s lunch, which is my personal trick for enjoying weekday meals without repeat fatigue.
02 -
- If you rush the cooling, your veggies wilt—let that quinoa cool for real crunch.
- Adding the dressing while the grains are still warm helps the flavors soak in, but don’t go too hot or things get mushy.
03 -
- To save time, prep the veggies a day ahead and store them dry until you’re ready to throw everything together.
- A tiny splash more sesame oil at the end brings out the best aroma—just don’t overdo it or the salad can turn heavy.