I came with this recipe for a Mandarin Quinoa Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette because we get invited to a lot of BBQ’s and on more than one occasion I was left to eating a bun with condiments on it because there is nothing else vegan-friendly. I bring this salad because it’s bright and delicious but most importantly it can be an awesome filling dinner if there’s nothing else to eat. Win-win! Potato and pasta salads are very typical at BBQs so this salad will mix things up! Not only is it vegan it’s gluten-free, but it’s also nut-free too!
What I love about this recipe is it’s easy to toss together, is packed with nutrients and requires no chopping or dicing. The quinoa and pumpkin seeds have protein and fibre to keep you full while the pomegranates, natures wonder food, are full of antioxidants and vitamins.
This will be hit at your next BBQ or make it for dinner then bring it for lunch the next day. Scroll below for a full list of ingredients and instructions to making my Mandarin Quinoa Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette. If salads are on your mind, check out my recipe for a Summer Cucumber and Watermelon Salad.
Mandarin Quinoa Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette
Ingredients
- 2 cups of cooked quinoa
- 2 cups of arugula
- ½ cup of mandarin oranges
- 1/3 cup of pumpkin seeds
- ¼ cup of pomegranate seeds
Lemon Vinaigrette
- 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- ½ tsp finely grated lemon zest (Tip: when using lemon in recipes not requiring zest. Grate the lemon and freeze the zest until needed.)
- 2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 tsp of maple syrup or agave
- ½ tsp of Dijon mustard
- ¼ tsp of sea salt or to taste
- Freshly ground pepper
Instructions
- Place salad ingredients in a bowl
- In a separate small bowl whisk together vinaigrette ingredients.
- Pour over salad ingredients
- Gently toss.