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Fresh Cilantro Lime Quinoa Salad (Gluten Free)

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Looking for a hearty salad or side dish that full of veggies and healthy grains? This Fresh Cilantro Lime Quinoa Salad is my gluten free take on tabouleh, and it’s allergy friendly!

Cilantro lime quinoa salad

As much as I love desserts, a healthy diet cannot be full of sweet treats all the time (bummer!). Healthy desserts are good sometimes, but the bulk of our “daily bread” so to speak should be whole foods, fruits and veggies, lean proteins, and healthy fats.

My commitment is to start posting more main dishes and side dishes that reflect this nutrition philosophy. The healthy desserts/baked goodies won’t stop, but I will be adding in more non-dessert recipes that can fit anyone’s healthy diet choices.

Besides, I love salads! I haven’t eaten much salad since winter started, but making up this hearty salad reminded me of how much I miss the tastes of summer.

Check out our other salad recipes:

Looking for a hearty salad or side dish that full of veggies and healthy grains? This Fresh Cilantro Lime Quinoa Salad is my gluten free take on tabouleh, and it's allergy friendly! - @TheFitCookie #glutenfree #allergyfriendly

Cilantro Lime Salad with grilled chicken and sunflower seeds added

Fresh Cilantro Lime Quinoa Salad

Looking for a hearty salad or side dish that full of veggies and healthy grains? This Fresh Cilantro Lime Quinoa Salad is my gluten free take on tabouleh, and it’s allergy friendly!
Gluten-free, dairy free, peanut free
Makes about 4 cups
5 from 1 vote
Print Pin Rate
Course: Salads
Cuisine: American, Mexican
Keyword: dairy free quinoa salad, gluten free quinoa salad, quinoa salad
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Servings: 4 cups
Calories: 152kcal

Ingredients

Salad:

  • 1 cup cooked quinoa
  • 1 cup diced jicama
  • ½ yellow bell pepper seeded and diced
  • 1 small tomato seeded and diced *
  • ½ medium cucumber unpeeled, seeded, and diced (save seeds for dressing)
  • ¼ cup cilantro leaves unpacked (about 1-2 Tablespoons minced)
  • 1 stem green onions sliced (optional)
  • Zest of 1 lime

Cilantro-Lime Dressing:

  • 2 Tablespoons fresh lime juice
  • 2 Tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 Tablespoons seeds from cucumber
  • Zest from 1 lime
  • 1 clove garlic minced
  • 1 teaspoon ground chia seed*
  • ¼ teaspoon Cajun spice
  • teaspoon chipotle powder

Instructions

Salad:

  • Prepare quinoa according to package directions and allow to cool a bit.
  • While the quinoa is cooling, chop your vegetables
  • Mix together the quinoa, jicama, bell pepper, tomato, cucumber, cilantro, green onions, and lime zest until well blended. Add in 1/2 of the dressing recipe below (about 3 Tablespoons) and mix again until blended. Enjoy immediately or chill to set flavors.

Dressing:

  • Place all ingredients in a small food processor, blender, or magic bullet and process until mixed well. Use half for the Quinoa salad, and save the rest for another salad.

Notes

Scraping out the seeds/liquid from tomatoes and cucumbers is optional, but it keeps your salads from getting soggy, especially if you will not be eating the entire salad at one time. The ground chia seed in the dressing helps to thicken and emulsify the dressing. You can add more if you want it to be thicker

Nutrition

Calories: 152kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 11mg | Potassium: 293mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 515IU | Vitamin C: 42.8mg | Calcium: 20mg | Iron: 1.1mg
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