California Quinoa Salad (Whole Foods Copycat Recipe)

 

I love one-dish meals, especially when they are super flavorful. So when I picked up this quinoa salad at Whole Foods a while back, I instantly knew it was a recipe I wanted to recreate over and over again–and I have. Thankfully, Whole Foods is pretty transparent on their food labels, so all I needed to do was buy the ingredients and make a batch. Not only does this recipe have a variety of colorful vegetables, but it also has fruit too: mango and raisins. I love fruit mixed into entrees (yes, I have a bit of a sweet tooth). The dish is topped with a light balsamic-lime-coconut dressing, and while balsamic and mango may sound like an odd combo, I promise it’s a perfect match.

 

I bumped up the veggie to quinoa ratio quite a bit from the original recipe–veggies do give you superpowers after all. I also think this dish tastes even better a few hours after making it, once all the different flavors incorporate. This is an easy one-dish meal that you can eat warm or cold, so it’s great for leftovers or as a quick nutritious meal after a long run. This meal stays in my regular repertoire due to the ease of making it; by the time my quinoa is done cooking, I’m done chopping up my vegetables. After I mix it all together, it’s ready to eat!

 

 

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{California Quinoa Salad}

This recipe is a copycat of a Whole Foods dish. It’s full of raw, healthy vegetables and fruit. It has a light but tangy dressing and can be prepared in one giant bowl.

 

Servings: 4 (about 2 cups each)

 

Ingredients

1 cup dry quinoa

2 cups water

2 red peppers

1 yellow pepper

1 jalapeno pepper

1 small red onion

1 large mango

1/2 cup raisins

2 cups shelled frozen edamame, thawed

3/4 cup loosely packed cilantro

1/2 cup shredded unsweetened coconut

1/4 cup lime juice

3 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1/2 tsp unrefined salt

1/4 cup sliced almonds

 

Directions

1. Rinse quinoa, then bring quinoa and 2 cups water to boil over med-high heat; let boil for 5 minutes. Remove from heat, cover, and let sit for 15 minutes.

2. While quinoa is cooking, chop peppers, onion, cilantro, and mango. Combine chopped vegetables and mango with edamame and raisins in a large bowl.

3. When quinoa is finished, fluff with fork. Stir in lime juice, balsamic, coconut, and salt.

4. Combine quinoa with chopped vegetable and fruit mixture, stir to mix. Top each serving with 1 tbsp sliced almonds.

 

Nutrition info per serving: 505 cal, 14 g fat (6.5 g sat fat), 61g carb, 15 g pro, 14 g fiber

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