AUTUMN QUINOA SALAD WITH LEMON TURMERIC DRESSING RECIPE

Balance out the heavier cooked down and roasted flavors of fall with this light and tangy Autumn Quinoa Salad with homemade Lemon Turmeric Dressing.

Prep Time: 15 mins

Cook Time: 15 mins

Total Time: 30 mins

Servings: 2 large salads

Total Cost: $4.92 recipe / $2.46 serving

INGREDIENTS

QUINOA

·         1/2 cup uncooked quinoa* ($0.85)

·         1/8 tsp salt ($0.01)

·         LEMON TURMERIC DRESSING

·         2 Tbsp almond butter ($0.44)

·         3 Tbsp hot water ($0.00)

·         1 Tbsp lemon juice ($0.12)

·         1/2 tsp ground ginger ($0.05)

·         1/4 tsp ground turmeric ($0.02)

·         1 tsp sugar ($0.02)

·         1/8 tsp salt ($0.01)

·         freshly cracked pepper (about 1/8 tsp) ($0.02)

SALAD

·         4 cups baby greens ($1.66)

·         1 Granny Smith apple ($1.24)

·         2 Tbsp dried cranberries ($0.14)

·         2 Tbsp sliced almonds ($0.33)

INSTRUCTIONS

1.  Rinse the quinoa well in a fine wire mesh sieve. Add the quinoa, 1/8 tsp salt, and 3/4 cup water to a small sauce pot. Place a lid on top and bring it up to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, turn the heat down to low and let it simmer for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes the quinoa should be tender. Spread the quinoa out over a tray or baking dish, then place it in the refrigerator to cool for about 10 minutes.

2. While the quinoa is cooking, prepare the lemon turmeric dressing. In a bowl or jar, combine the almond butter, hot water (start with 2 Tbsp), lemon juice, ground ginger, ground turmeric, sugar, salt, and pepper (about 5 cranks of a pepper mill). Stir very well until the almond butter fully combines with the liquid and the mixture is smooth. Add more water, if needed, to make the dressing smooth and pourable (I used 3 Tbsp total). Place the dressing in the refrigerator until ready to use.

3.   Thinly slice the Granny Smith apple.

4.  To build the salads, place 2 cups of baby greens in each large bowl. Add half of the apples slices to each, then spoon about 1/2 cup cooked and cooled quinoa over top. Sprinkle one tablespoon each of dried cranberries and sliced almonds on each salad. Finally, drizzle the lemon turmeric dressing on top, and serve.

NOTES

* I used rainbow colored quinoa because the colors went with the Autumn theme, but plain white quinoa is probably less expensive. If using pre-cooked quinoa, you'll need about 1 cup total for two salads.

Recipe from budgetbytes.com

Delicious Food Recipes