By: AlyssaRating 19 Comments on 10-Minute Spicy Moroccan Quinoa Salad
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This healthy 10-Minute Moroccan quinoa salad combines crunchy vegetables, whole grains and a spicy turmeric-tahini dressing. It's also vegan, gluten-free and great for meal prep!
When I first made a recipe for 10-minute quinoa fried rice recipe, you guys LOVED it. So I had to make another fast, delicious and healthy dinner recipe that we can all rely on. This Moroccan quinoa salad is also ready in 10 minutes and features:
- Fresh greens
- Crunchy vegetables
- Sweet dates
- Tons of satisfying plant-based protein from quinoa, chickpeas and cashews
- A kick from creamy spicy turmeric-tahini dressing
Ready for this? Let's dive into what you need to know to make a fast and healthy quinoa salad as quickly as possible.
How to Make Moroccan Quinoa Salad
If you already have cooked quinoa on hand, you're well on your way to throwing together this sweet and spicy salad.
Ingredient Notes
- Carrots. To get the crunchiest bits of carrot that really mix into your grain salad well, I recommend using a mandoline. It cuts veggies incredibly small without all the tricky knife work. You can also shred your carrots on the side of a box grater.
- Medjool dates. These are the large, meaty dates that add a bit of sweetness to this salad. Look for pitted dates if you can.
- Quinoa. Read how to cook perfect quinoa every time for the fluffiest grains.
- Chickpeas. I love this brand of canned chickpeas. They're organic and so tasty.
Tahini-Turmeric Dressing
It's no secret that I love tahini. Especially in salad dressings and sauces. And this creamy, nutty dressing is just the right amount of sweet, savory, and spicy.
To bring out the delicious Moroccan flavor in this quinoa salad, this dressing is loaded up with warming spices:
- Turmeric
- Coriander
- Cumin
- Cayenne
- Cinnamon
If you like more or less spice, feel free to experiment with the amount of cayenne in the dressing. When you're mixing it, add just enough water to reach a pourable consistency. The quinoa will soak up a lot of the liquid (which is a good thing!) when you mix everything together.
Tip: make a big batch of this dressing and use it on Rainbow Veggie Mason Jar Salads for lunch!
Make-Ahead Quinoa Salad
You can easily prep this salad ahead of time. It will stay fresh (undressed) for up to three days in an airtight container. If you're worried about the spinach wilting, you can assemble everything other than the spinach and dressing, then toss the spinach in just before serving.
More Healthy Moroccan-Inspired Recipes to try:
- Detox Moroccan Lentil Soup
- Moroccan Quinoa Salad
- One-Pot Moroccan Lentils + Quinoa
- Slow Cooker Moroccan Chickpea Stew
- Saffron Middle Eastern Quinoa Salad
- Curry Roasted Vegetable Quinoa Bowls
If you make this Moroccan Quinoa Salad with Tahini-Turmeric Dressing, be sure to let me know what you think with a rating & review below!
10-Minute Spicy Moroccan Quinoa Salad
4.7 from 6 votes
This spicy and sweet Moroccan quiona salad includes spinach, dates, cashews, chickpeas and a delicious vegan tahini-turmeric dressing.
author: Alyssa
yield: 2 large or 4 small servings
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Prep: 10 minutes minutes
Total: 10 minutes minutes
Ingredients
for the salad:
- 4 cups chopped spinach
- 1 large carrot julienned or shredded
- 4 - 6 medjool dates
- 2 green onions
- 1 cup cooked quinoa
- 1 cup cooked chickpeas drained + rinsed
- 1/2 cup raw cashew pieces
for the dressing
- 2 tablespoons tahini
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
- 1/4 teaspoon coriander
- 1/4 teaspoon cumin
- 1/8 - 1/4 teaspoon cayenne depending on the level of spice you like
- Pinch of cinnamon
- Salt + pepper to taste
- Water as needed
Instructions
Add the spinach to a large mixing bowl and set aside.
Prepare your other ingredients, starting with the carrots. Using a mandolin slicer, julienne peeler or a box grater to get long strips (about 1" long). Add these to the bowl.
Next, pit and chop the medjool dates into quarters (or a little smaller) and add them to the bowl.
Thinly slice the green onions, using both the white and green parts, and add those to the bowl as well.
Finally, add the remaining salad ingredients to the mixing bowl and set aside while you whip up the dressing.
Combine all dressing ingredients (minus water) into a bowl. Whisk together until incorporated and smooth. The dressing will be too thick here, so add just enough water so that it's pourable - start with 1/2 teaspoon and add in 1/2 teaspoon increments until you get the desired consistency. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
Gently toss the salad ingredients together to combine. Pour dressing over salad and toss again until everything is evenly coated.
Transfer to serving dishes, garnish with a few more green onions and enjoy!
Notes
Nutritional values are based on 2 large servings
Nutrition
Calories: 621kcal | Carbohydrates: 87g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Sodium: 460mg | Potassium: 1358mg | Fiber: 13g | Sugar: 37g | Vitamin A: 11015IU | Vitamin C: 27.3mg | Calcium: 186mg | Iron: 7.9mg
cuisine: Moroccan
course: Salad
★★★★★
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Filed Under:
- Dairy Free
- Gluten-Free
- Lunch
- Recipes
- Salads
- Vegan
- Vegetarian
If you make this recipe, make sure to snap a pic and share it on Instagram using #SIMPLYQUINOA – I want to see your own quinoa creations!
