Quinoa Salad with Tibetan Herb Dressing

This quinoa salad might not look like much, but it’s deceptively flavorful! The simple combination of quinoa, blanched green beans, and grape tomatoes gets BIG flavor from a Tibetan herb dressing loaded with ginger, cilantro, garlic, and a hint of spice. Top it all off with a few slivered almonds and you have a lunch that you’ll look forward to all morning!

I’ve eaten this for lunch almost every day for the last two weeks and I’m still not tired of it. In fact, I’m completely head over heels in love with the dressing.

The dressing is based on one that I had at this year’s Big Summer Potluck and I just. can’t. get. enough! I thought about it pretty much the entire 4 hour drive home, and made it myself very shortly after. It’s thick and pesto-like and incredibly pungent from tons of fresh ginger and garlic. It smells really strong when you first make it, but it mellows out a ton after a night in the fridge, so you don’t have to worry too much about having Godzilla breath if you eat this at your desk (although a mint afterward wouldn’t be the worst idea. Especially if you have afternoon meetings.)

Quinoa Salad with Tibetan Herb Dressing

Yield: 4

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes

I like to spend 15 minutes on Sunday night making a big batch of this quinoa salad to eat for lunch all week. I bring the extra dressing to work with me in a small mustard jar.

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Ingredients

• 1 cup quinoa, rinsed very well
• 1 cup French-style green beans, trimmed
• 1/4 cup grape tomatoes, halved
• 1/4 cup cilantro
• 2 tablespoons freshly grated ginger
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon chili sauce (like sambal oelek or sriracha)
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 2 tablespoons water
• 2 tablespoons slivered almonds

Instructions

1. Add the quinoa and 2 cups of water to a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and cover. Cook 10 minutes, or until done.
2. Fill a second pot with about 2 inches of water. Bring to a boil. Add the green beans and cook for 30 seconds, or until bright green. Drain.
3. Add the cilantro, ginger, garlic, and chili sauce to a food processor or blender. Process until it forms a thick, pesto-like puree. Stir in the lemon juice; thin with water.
4. Combine the warm quinoa, beans, and tomatoes in a large dish. Stir in half the dressing. Let cool completely.
5. Top with slivered almonds immediately before serving. Serve with additional dressing.

Nutrition Information

Amount Per ServingCalories 197 Total Fat 4g Saturated Fat 0g Cholesterol 0mg Sodium 25mg Fiber 5g Sugar 2g Protein 8g