A salad is always a good option, any freakin’ day. And the one that I am sharing today is an absolute delight. The crunchy veggies, wholesome quinoa and most of all, the special dressing that I used for the salad.

I am so totally obsessed with this dressing. I always stock about 2 cups of this homemade, completely healthy dressing in my fridge and stir it in any veggie salad. It always manages to perk up the salads and it’s taste is almost addictive. It can be used as a dip as well! You know, for fresh crudités and basically any food item you want to dip in it.  And, its super healthy as it doesn’t contain any mayo or sour cream. Greek yogurt makes this dressing stand out in terms of taste while also gaining an edge for being super healthy.

This is yet another one of my go-to quick recipes for busy as well as lazy days. And nights, mornings, pretty much whenever it tickles my fancy. It’s so fuss-free. With the extremely nutritious and gluten-free quinoa and the even healthier veggies, drizzled with the creamy and tangy dressing… wow! I just started craving for this, AGAIN!

The whole thing is extremely easy to prepare. More so, if you have some leftover cooked quinoa with you to start with. The best thing about this: you can have this as either a side dish to almost anything, or, you can simply have a bowl full of this alone, and feel yourself deeply contented.

There are lots of other ‘best’ things about this salad. For one, there is no hard and fast rule as to which and how much vegetables you want in your slaw mix. Secondly, the delightful dressing would compel you to eat more fresh and healthy veggies. And third, well… it’s so fresh and vibrant in color, taste as well as goodness all in all.

Enjoy!

 Ingredients:

For the salad –

• ½ cup uncooked quinoa
• 10 oz shredded vegetables (combinations of red cabbage, green cabbage, brussels sprouts, broccoli stalks and carrots)
• ½ cup pepita seeds or peanuts

For the dressing –  makes 1 cup(8oz)

• 6 oz Greek yogurt
• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 3-4 tablespoons honey
• 1 ½ tablespoon lemon juice
• ½ teaspoon salt or as per taste
• ½ teaspoon pepper or as per taste

Instructions:

• To cook the quinoa, rinse it in a fine colander under running water. Then add the quinoa along with 1 cup of water in a pot and let it come to a gentle boil over medium heat. Then reduce the heat on low and simmer the quinoa until it has absorbed all the water. Remove from heat and let it rest for 10 minutes.
• To make the dressing, combine all the ingredients listed above for the dressing in a bowl and mix them until emulsified.
• Now in a mixing bowl, add the cooked quinoa, shredded veggies and pepita seeds . Pour in the dressing generously and give it a nice mix.
• Voila! Your super-easy, delicious and healthy salad is ready. Serve it as a main or side dish – that’s your call!