This dreamy black quinoa salad is topped with a vegan green goddess dressing and served with tons of green veggies – it's light, flavorful + tasty!
BLACK QUINOA. Have you heard of it? Do you like it? Doesn’t it look (and sound) crazy?
It’s hard to believe, but this is the first time I’ve ever shared a recipe using black quinoa on the blog. I’ve been blogging for almost 4 years and yet still black quinoa has never made an appearance (say whaaat!?).
I know it’s not a new product, but I like to think of it as something more on the mysterious side – you don’t see if often and when you make it, it adds drama and intrigue. Plus, it’s crunchy, cool-looking and just plain amazing.
So, today that all changes because we’re munching on this epic black quinoa salad which has been properly loaded up with super-duper green veggies and thoroughly smothered in a creamy green goddess dressing.
It’s a salad to bring us out of winter hibernation and into the love and light that comes with spring. Basically, I just want to be eating this salad every day until…well forever.
Okay so, first things first about this recipe (aside from the obvious black quinoa) is this → a dreamy vegan green goddess dressing.
I’m a big fan of making my own dressings – they’re quick, easy and soooo much tastier to make them at home! In our house though, the perfect dressing is up for debate. Matt likes ones that are oil and vinegar-based – something on the thinner side. My vote? Creamy all the way. I usually opt for a lemon-tahini dressing, but when I’m not feelin’ that, I go for something like this.
Cashew based and loaded with fresh herbs and garlic, this might not be the traditional green goddess dressing, but boy is it tasty. It’s rich, but it’s bright and cheery – perfect for this spring-inspired salad. Plus, when it’s tossed with the black quinoa and steamed veggies the whole salad is coated perfectly and every bite oozes the herbaceous flavor.
I stuck with green veggies for the salad, but really you could opt for whatever you like. I chose brussel sprouts because they’re a good transition veggie from winter to spring, broccoli because I love it with cream salads, green onions for some zing and pea shoots because they’re fun, light and remind me of spring.
And of course, no green goddess salad would be complete without my green superstar: avocado.
Just a few simple slices of avocado on top (and some flaked chili sea salt) and there’s without a doubt this salad is elevated to rockstar status.
Rockstars. Goddesses. We’ve got the whole crew here.
So let’s go eat some salad.
And I’m sure some of you will ask, so I wanted to address it now: if you can’t find black quinoa, simply replace it with red or white quinoa. Red would be the next best option because it has that crunch factor, but if you can’t find red then go for whatever quinoa you have on hand. It’s really the dressing that makes it goddess-esque.
More Quinoa Salad Recipes to try:
- Creamy Vegan Broccoli Quinoa Salad
- Fall Quinoa Salad with Butternut Squash and Apples
- Creamy Superfood Kale & Lentil Quinoa Salad
- Moroccan Quinoa Salad
- Easy Detox Quinoa Salad
- Asian Kale Quinoa Salad
Green Goddess Black Quinoa Salad
Ingredients
for the dressing:
- 1 cup cashews
- 1/2 cup water more if needed
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro
- 1 teaspoon miso paste
- 2 - 3 garlic cloves
- Freshly ground black pepper
for the salad:
- 3 cups black quinoa cooked
- 1 lb brussel sprouts halved + lightly steamed
- 1 large broccoli crown chopped into florets + lightly steamed
- 1 bunch green onions thinly sliced
- 2 cups pea shoots
- 1 avocado quartered and sliced
Instructions
- Add the dressing ingredients into a high powered blender in the order listed. Blend on high until smooth and creamy. If the dressing is too thick, add a touch more water, 1 tablespoon at a time until you've reached the desired consistency.
- Transfer dressing to a container and set aside.
- Add all the salad ingredients (minus the avocado) into a large mixing bowl. Add about half the dressing and gently toss the salad together. If you want more dressing, simply add another dash and mix until all the ingredients are evenly coated.
- Evenly distribute the salads into four bowls. Top with 1/4 of the avocado slices and sprinkle with a bit of sea salt (optional).
- Enjoy!
Nutrition
