This Quinoa Salad with Oil-Free Chipotle Ranch Dressing is my new favorite salad. Quick and easy to prepare, bursting with flavors, nutritious and hearty!
FOR THE FULL LIST OF INGREDIENTS, SCROLL TO SEE THE RECIPE CARD AT THE END. BUT BEFORE YOU SCROLL CHECK IMPORTANT INFORMATION THAT IS INCLUDED IN THE BLURB.
After all the holiday rich dishes, it is time for more nutritious meals. I have been drinking my Detox Tea daily with great results and also making lots of soups like my Broccoli Cheese Soup and Instant Pot Lentil Soup. Simple dishes with lots of nutrients and fiber to help nourish my body.
If you haven’t tried quinoa it is a must try, it is high in protein and fiber and it cooks in only 15 minutes, so that’s a win-win. I decided to add black beans, tomatoes, corn, avocado and green onion to the quinoa and top it with a creamy vegan chipotle ranch dressing. This dressing tastes amazing, I couldn’t stop tasting it, it is my new favorite salad dressing. See How To Cook Quinoa.
I used powdered Chipotle pepper in the salad dressing but you can leave it out or substitute with smoked paprika. This Quinoa Salad recipe is perfect served as is or you can extra protein by adding baked marinated tofu. You can substitute the cashew with soaked almonds or sunflower seeds for those with nut allergies.
More Delicious Quinoa Recipes To Try:
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Categories
- Categories: Gluten-Free, Vegan
- Courses: Salad, Side Dish
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
(Per portion)- Energy: 309 kcal / 1292 kJ
- Fat: 16 g
- Protein: 9 g
- Carbs: 33 g
Cook Time
- Preparation: 15 min
- Cooking: 15 min
- Ready in: 30 min
- For: 6 servings
Ingredients
Quinoa Salad
- 1 cup quinoa, uncooked, rinsed using fine mesh strainer and drain
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 medium avocado, pitted and chopped
- 1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1/4 cup cilantro leaves, chopped
- 1 cup organic sweet corn kernels
- 2 green onions, chopped
Chipotle Ranch Dressing
- 3/4 cup cashew, soaked overnight or boil for 5 minutes
- 1 cup water
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast flakes
- 2 teaspoons maple syrup
- 1 clove garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon powdered chipotle pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
Instructions
To Prepare The Salad
- Add vegetable broth in a medium pot on medium high. Add quinoa and bring to boil, cover and reduced to simmer for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare vegetables and salad dressing.
To Prepare The Chipotle Ranch Dressing
- To prepare salad dressing, place all the ingredients in a high-speed blender and process until creamy. Keep in refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- To serve, place quinoa in the base of a bowl, arrange black beans, corn, tomato, avocado, cilantro and green onions and top with the salad dressing and serve immediately.
Delicious!!!
Thank you, I’m so happy you enjoyed it.
Do you have a sugar free recommendation for replacing the maple syrup in this recipe? Also have you used this dressing over salad?
The sugar-free alternative would liquid stevia, amounts I’m not sure, start by adding by drops and stir until you reach your desired taste. Absolutely yes, it is delicious as a salad dressing.
You lost me with the addition of a canned item.
Stephanie, I’m not going to pretend I serve my family canned food and I’m proud of it. I’m a caterer and if you eat at a restaurant, hotel, etc. more than likely you are eating plenty of canned foods. At least I try to buy organic and BPA free cans when I can. There are plenty of flavorful black beans that are made from scratch on here, search for my Black Bean Burritos, Instant Pot Black Beans, Brazilian Black Bean Stew to name a few. I’m a busy wife, homeschool mom, an entrepreneur running this website fulltime, wearing plenty of hats and can bean, olives, tomato sauce, etc have helped me to feed my family on time and keep us happy. In this busy world, it saves time, I highly recommend you try or do what works for you and your family.
Hi Michelle:
Jan (my wife) and I have tried several of your recipes and so far, they’re fantastic!
I just wanted to try some of your salad dressings but I’m confused by the instructions here. Step 2 says “place ALL ingredients” in the blender.
I didn’t see any separate list of dressing ingredients – did you really mean all of these::
1 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed using fine mesh strainer and drain
2 cups vegetable broth
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1 medium avocado, pitted and chopped
1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup chopped cilantro leaves, chopped
1 cup organic sweet corn kernels
2 green onions, chopped
3/4 cup cashew, soaked overnight or boil for 5 minutes
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon nutritional yeast flakes
2 teaspoons maple syrup
1 clove garlic
1/2 teaspoon powdered chipotle pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt or to taste
Thanks (sorry for the length but I thought it would make it clearer to include all of it)
Don thank you very much. The dressing starts from cashews but if you are confused I’m pretty sure many more of my readers are so let me clarify it. Hope you enjoy!
This was delicious! Love the dressing.
The dressing is amazing!
Verona, so happy you love it, it is the bomb!