Rainbow Quinoa Salad with Avocado Cilantro Lime Dressing

This roasted veggies quinoa salad is easy to make in advance and highly portable — perfect for picnics and lunchboxes. Bring it to perfection with a creamy and zesty avocado lime cilantro dressing.

Photo credit: © Eatwell101.com

Ingredients list for the roasted veggies quinoa salad

The salad:

• 1 cup uncooked quinoa
• 1/2 small red cabbage, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, cut into strips
• 1 zucchini, diced
• Salt and fresh cracked pepper
• 1/4 cup chopped almonds

The dressing

• 1 avocado
• 1 clove garlic, peeled
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
• 1/4 cup greek yogurt, or low-fat sour-cream
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime or lemon juice
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• Salt and fresh cracked pepper, a pinch of each
• Water

Photo credit: © Eatwell101.com

Photo credit: © Eatwell101.com

Photo credit: © Eatwell101.com

Photo credit: © Eatwell101.com

Photo credit: © Eatwell101.com

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400ºF (200°C). Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and arrange diced zucchini and bell pepper in a single layer, sprinkle with salt, pepper and Italian herbs. Toss to coat well and roast for 10 minutes, then stir, return them to the oven, and roast for an additional 10 minutes, or until the veggies are tender and browned on the edges. Allow to cool slightly.

2. In the meantime, cook quinoa according to package directions.

3. Make the dressing: Place all the ingredients in a food processor or blender. Process until smooth, scrapping down the sides a few times. Thin the salad dressing out with about ⅓ cup water until it reaches a desired consistency.

4. Place all the vegetables (roasted zucchini and bell peppers, red cabbage and quinoa) in a large salad bowl. Season with salt and pepper and toss to season all the way through. Pour the avocado cilantro lime dressing over and toss to coat. Garnish with chopped almonds. Enjoy!

Note: You can keep the avocado dressing in an airtight container for 1-2 weeks.

Photo credit: © Eatwell101.com