Vegan Quinoa Spinach Salad with Mango Dressing
Are you tired of eating plain, boring salads? Try this colorful and flavorful summery vegan spinach salad! It features fluffy quinoa, juicy mandarin oranges, sweet blueberries, red onions, toasted pecans, and tangy oil-free mango dressing!
Servings 8 servings
Calories 353kcal
Equipment
- Small Pot
- Large Mixing Bowl
- Blender
Ingredients
Spinach Salad
- 1 cup uncooked quinoa rinsed and drained
- 2 cups water
- 4-5 cups spinach
- 10 oz can mandarin oranges drained
- 1 cup blueberries
- 1/2 cup red onion diced (1 small onion)
- 1/2 cup roasted pecans roughly chopped
- 1/4 tsp himalayan pink sea salt (add more to taste)
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
Mango Dressing
- 1 cup mango (1 large mango)
- 1/4 cup lime juice (2 medium limes)
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 tbsp tahini
- pinch of salt
Instructions
- Put 1 cup quinoa and 2 cups water in a small pot and bring it to a low boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and let it cook for about 15 minutes or until all the water has been absorbed. Take the cooked quinoa off the heat and let it sit for 5 minutes. Remove the lid and fluff the quinoa with a fork. Transfer the cooked quinoa to a large mixing bowl and put it in the fridge to cool for 30 minutes.
Mango Dressing
- Add 1 cup mango, 1/4 cup lime juice, 1/4 cup water, 1 tbsp tahini, and a pinch of salt to a small blender cup. Blend on high until the dressing is smooth and creamy.
Quinoa Spinach Salad
- In the large mixing bowl with the quinoa, add the mandarin oranges, 4-5 handfuls of spinach, 1 cup blueberries, 1/2 cup diced red onion, 1/2 cup roasted pecans, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp pepper. Pour all of the mango dressing over the salad. Use a large spoon to gently mix the salad.
Notes
- While the quinoa is chilling in the fridge, prep the rest of the salad ingredients and make the creamy mango salad dressing so everything is ready at the same time.
- Buy roasted pecans to save yourself a step. If you can only find raw pecans and need to roast them yourself, arrange the pecans on a parchment-lined tray and bake them for about 5 minutes at 350 degrees or until they're lightly browned. When you can smell the nuts roasting, that means they're done.
- Store the leftover salad in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Nutrition
Calories: 353kcal | Carbohydrates: 69g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 148mg | Potassium: 1709mg | Fiber: 12g | Sugar: 39g | Vitamin A: 18987IU | Vitamin C: 143mg | Calcium: 311mg | Iron: 6mg