Crunchy Cashew Thai Quinoa Salad

Delicious vegetarian and simply protein free Thai quinoa dish with an ideal crunch. Good for meal homework lunches, picnics or parties. This dish could be a crowd-pleaser!

I created this dish many weeks back and will’t wait to undertake it again! I like that it can simply be vegetarian and gluten-free, and is unbelievably crunch-tastic (not a word, however ought to be). There’s many goodness here: carrots, cabbage, quinoa, cilantro, cashews, red pepper, onion and additional. There's undoubtedly Associate in Nursing Asian flavor profile to the present eater meal and also the creamy paste dressing with a touch of ginger is completely TO DIE FOR.

I named it Thai dish, however is it really that? I’m unsure. In the end, the ingredients all meld along dead and somehow the dish simply works fabulously — and it’s filling too! If you would like to create this an entire meal or you’re desire additional, I recommend adding edamame or chickpeas.

INGREDIENTS :

• ¾ cup uncooked quinoa
• 2 cups shredded red cabbage, depending on how much crunch you like
• 1 cup shredded carrots
• 1/4 cup diced red onion
• ½ cup chopped cilantro
• ¼ cup diced green onions
• ½ cup cashew halves or peanuts (honey-roasted is good)
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• Optional: 1 cup edamame or chickpeas
• Fresh lime, for a bit of tang

For the dressing :

• ¼ cup all natural peanut butter
• 3 tablespoon gluten-free soy sauce or coconut aminos
• 2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger
• 1 tablespoon honey (use agave or pure maple syrup if vegan)
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar or red wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon olive oil or more sesame oil
• Water to thin, if necessary

INSTRUCTIONS :

1. To cook quinoa: In a medium saucepan, bring 1 ½ cups of water to a boil. Add in quinoa and bring mixture to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low and let simmer for 15 minutes or until quinoa has absorbed all of the water. Remove from heat and fluff quinoa with fork; place in large bowl and set aside to cool for about 10 minutes. You should have a little over 2 cups of quinoa.
2. To make dressing: Add peanut butter and honey or agave to a medium microwave safe bowl; heat in microwave for 20 seconds. Add in ginger, soy sauce, vinegar, and both sesame and olive oil and stir until mixture is smooth and creamy. If you want a thinner dressing, simply stir in a teaspoon or two of water or olive oil.
3. Add as much or as little dressing as you’d like to the quinoa. I always start out with a little bit of dressing and usually add more to suit my taste preferences. Alternatively you can save the dressing for later and add when you are ready to eat; however the flavors of the dressing usually soak into the salad so I love adding it to the quinoa first.
4. Next fold in red pepper, onion, cabbage, carrots, and cilantro into the quinoa. Garnish with cashews and green onions. Serve chilled or at room temperature with lime wedges, if desired.

Source https://www.ambitiouskitchen.com/crunchy-cashew-thai-quinoa-salad-with-ginger-peanut-dressing/