Have you tried making nourishing salad bowls before, like the one I made recently with Moroccan-inspired roasted sweet potato and coconut-garlic roasted chickpeas? If not, you really have to give it a try! It’s such an easy way to add more raw vegetables and delicious flavours into your life! By adding various sources of vegetable proteins (like quinoa, or chick peas), you feel full, satisfied, and full of energy to go on with your life!
It’s funny because even though we eat healthy, every time I mention “salad” for dinner, my husband is always wondering if that’s the appetizer, but by the time he’s done eating it (and loves it), he tells me that I should make it more often! haha
Don’t be afraid to “just” have a salad for dinner, it’s all about what you put into it, and also the dressing you use. Commercial salad dressings are not only full of gross ingredients, they also taste like crap in my opinion. hahaha If you make your own salad dressing (which takes about a minute to make), you will discover that all your salads suddenly become delicious, and your family won’t have such a hard time eating them. A salad dressing can make a salad, or break it. I’ve been making my own salad dressing for over 12 years, and haven’t looked back. Most of my dressings are made in a minute or two, and are made of only a few ingredients. I prepare a big batch in a medium-size mason jar, and that lasts us all week.
This recipe can be eaten right away, or the quinoa can be prepared ahead of time for a quick healthy summer dinner, or packed as a lunch (keep the lemon juice and dressing aside if you pack your lunch).
This big bowl of goodness was inspired by a salad I had at my favourite local organic café.
Enjoy!
ECP xo
Nourishing bowl: Quinoa, Mango and Nut Salad | Vegan, GF
A big bowl of deliciousness! Quinoa, mango and nut salad. Perfect for a packed lunch or a summer dinner. Naturally vegan and gluten-free
Ingredients
- 1 head organic lettuce washed, and drained
- 1 ripe mango
- 1 cup uncooked quinoa (I used a mix of white and red quinoa)
- 1/2 organic English cucumber washed, diced
- 1/2 organic sweet pepper of your choice (red, yellow, orange, green, purple, etc.)
- 1/3 cup nuts (I recommend either lightly roasted cashews, or hazelnuts), coarsely chopped
- 1 lemon to drizzle at the end
Dressing
- 3 Tbsp old-fashioned grainy mustard
- 2 Tbsp maple syrup
- 1/4 cup raw apple cider vinegar
- 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/8 tsp sea salt
- 1/8 tsp black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Put the quinoa to cook according to the bag instructions (or if you bought it in bulk, simply add the 1 cup quinoa with 3-4 cups filtered (or spring) water, bring to a boil, then reduce temperature to medium-low, cover, and cook for about 20 minutes, or until cooked.)
- Prepare the dressing by simply mixing everything in a mason jar.
- Cut the veggies in bite-size pieces.
- Wash the lettuce. Drain.
- Arrange the lettuce in each plate.
- When the quinoa is cooked, drain and rinse under cold water to cool it down (alternatively, you can prepare the quinoa ahead of time and make this salad in no time at all!).
- Assemble the salad: distribute the cooked quinoa on top of the lettuce, then add the cut veggies, and pieces of fresh mango, and nuts (cashews, or hazelnuts are great).
- Drizzle everything with fresh lemon juice.
- Shake the salad dressing and drizzle over the salads.
- Enjoy!
Note: I do not believe anyone should worry about counting calories, but here is the nutritional information for one serving
Calories: 467kcal | Fat: 27g | Saturated fat: 3g | Sodium: 208mg | Potassium: 552mg | Carbohydrates: 48g | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 13g | Protein: 9g | Vitamin A: 970% | Vitamin C: 49.3% | Calcium: 63% | Iron: 3.1%
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