Quinoa Glow Salad (Gluten-Free, Vegetarian)

5 from 5 votes
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This salad is sure to make you glow from the inside out! It’s not only packed with bright Spring flavors and crisp textures, but it also contains ingredients that are full of a whole host of skin-supporting nutrients.

Carrots, turmeric, quinoa, pears, and lemon are all powerhouse ingredients when it comes to gut and skin health. Carrots are high in vitamin A which helps to repair skin tissue, turmeric has anti-inflammatory properties that can reduce inflammation in the body, and quinoa is a great source of plant-based protein and contains all nine essential amino acids. Pears are rich in antioxidants and vitamin C, which can help protect your skin from damage caused by free radicals and lemon is high in vitamin C and helps to detoxify your body and promote healthy digestion.

With every bite, I really am trying to help you cover all bases…

And for some of you who may be saying “But cheese doesn’t make you glow!” Cheese makes me happy, and being happy makes you glow, and that’s all I’ll say on that subject!

Watch Me Make My Quinoa Glow Salad

If you’re in need of some more meal in a bowl salads, be sure to follow me on Facebook, or see all of my favorites (and so many other delicious recipes!) over on Pinterest.

How To Make My Quinoa Glow Salad

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A hand holding a fork is about to dig into a vibrant Quinoa Glow Salad, featuring quinoa, shredded red cabbage, carrots, cucumber, herbs, and sesame seeds in a white bowl.

Step 1. Preheat the oven to 400 Degrees F.

Step 2. In a large serving bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients.  You will use this bowl to toss your salad so set that aside.

Step 3. On a large baking sheet, toss carrots, olive oil, ½ teaspoon of salt, pepper and shallots.  

Step 4. Roast for about 30 minutes until browned and tender, shaking the pan around halfway through.

Step 5. Meanwhile, bring a medium saucepan filled with generously salted water to a boil.  Add the quinoa and cook it like pasta, simmering until just tender according to package directions.  Drain and return the quinoa to the pan.  Cover the top with a paper towel, then the lid and set aside.

Step 6. Into your serving bowl of dressing, shave the cabbage using a mandoline right into the bowl.  If you don’t have a mandoline, slice very thin with a knife and add it to the bowl.  

Step 7. Top with the roasted carrots and shallot, quinoa, pear, goat cheese, and parsley.  

Step 8. Toss to fully coat the salad with the dressing, finish with a sprinkle of flaky salt and serve.

Step 9. Enjoy!

A bag of 365 Whole Foods Market Organic White Quinoa featuring vibrant bowl illustrations sits on a white marble surface. Perfect for dishes like Quinoa Glow Salad, the 16-ounce pack displays the USDA organic seal.
A hand holding a whisk mixing a yellow-orange liquid in a large white bowl on a white marble surface, preparing dressing for the Quinoa Glow Salad.
A person’s hands arrange chopped carrots and sliced shallots on a metal baking sheet, preparing the vegetables for roasting for a Quinoa Glow Salad. The scene is set on a white marble surface.
A hand wearing a cut-resistant glove uses a mandoline slicer to prep purple cabbage for a Quinoa Glow Salad, slicing it over a white bowl filled with yellow-brown liquid on a marble countertop.

What Else Can I Use?

A white bowl filled with shredded red cabbage and a small amount of dressing or sauce on the bottom, set on a light-colored marble surface—perfect as a vibrant base for your Quinoa Glow Salad.
A person crumbles white cheese with their hands over a bowl filled with quinoa and shredded purple cabbage, preparing a vibrant Quinoa Glow Salad on a white surface.

This Quinoa Glow Salad is special because:

It’s packed full of texture, flavor and skin-supporting ingredients

Every bite is incredibly satisfying

It’s a fantastic meal-prep salad as it keeps all week in the fridge

A close-up of a Quinoa Glow Salad featuring chopped carrots, pears, red cabbage, quinoa, feta cheese, and fresh parsley, all topped with a sprinkle of flaky sea salt in a white bowl.
A bowl of vibrant Quinoa Glow Salad featuring shredded red cabbage, sliced carrots, cucumbers, and fresh herbs, all mixed together and served with a spoon on a white marble surface.

Even More Spring Salads

Shaved Brussels Sprouts and Butternut Squash Salad (Vegetarian)

Celery Chopped Salad with Apricots, Gorgonzla and Pecans

Berry Caprese Salad

If you make my Quinoa Glow Salad, and I hope you do, please leave me a comment here and rate the recipe. Your feedback means a lot to me! You can also post to Instagram and tag me so I can share your creations!

5 from 5 votes

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A white bowl filled with Quinoa Glow Salad—chopped red cabbage, tomatoes, cucumbers, herbs, and quinoa—with a spoon resting inside, all set on a marble surface.
5 from 5 votes

Quinoa Glow Salad (Gluten-free, Vegetarian)

This salad is not only packed with bright Spring flavors and crisp textures, but it also contains ingredients that are full of a whole host of skin-supporting nutrients.
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 30 minutes
Total: 40 minutes
Servings: 8 People

Equipment

  • 1 Mandoline (Optional)

Ingredients 

Lemon-Turmeric Dressing:

  • 3 tablespoons Lemon Juice, from one juicy lemon
  • cup Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
  • ½ teaspoon Dijon Mustard
  • 1 teaspoon Maple Syrup
  • ½ teaspoon Ground Turmeric
  • ¼ teaspoon Kosher salt
  • Black Pepper

Salad:

  • Kosher salt
  • teaspoon Fresh Cracked Black Pepper
  • 1 cup Dried Quinoa, rinsed
  • ½ Medium Red Cabbage, cut lengthwise into 4 pieces
  • 2 Large Carrots, peeled, halved, and sliced into 2 inch pieces
  • 2 Large Shallots, peeled and sliced thin
  • 1 Bartlett Pear, cored and diced small
  • 3 ounces Goat Cheese, crumbled
  • ½ cup Fresh Parsley, chopped
  • Flaky sea salt, such as Maldon (for finishing, optional)

Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 400 Degrees F.
  • In a large serving bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients. You will use this bowl to toss your salad so set that aside.
  • On a large baking sheet, toss carrots, olive oil, ½ teaspoon of salt, pepper and shallots.
  • Roast for about 30 minutes until browned and tender, shaking the pan around halfway through..
  • Meanwhile, bring a medium saucepan filled with generously salted water to a boil. Add the quinoa and cook it like pasta, simmering until just tender according to package directions. Drain and return the quinoa to the pan. Cover the top with a paper towel, then the lid and set aside.
  • Into your serving bowl of dressing, shave the cabbage using a mandoline right into the bowl. If you don’t have a mandoline, slice very thin with a knife and add it to the bowl.
  • Top with the roasted carrots and shallot, quinoa, pear, goat cheese, and parsley.
  • Toss to fully coat the salad with the dressing, finish with a sprinkle of flaky salt and serve.
  • This salad will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Nutrition

Calories: 233kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 5mg | Sodium: 144mg | Potassium: 375mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 3569IU | Vitamin C: 39mg | Calcium: 65mg | Iron: 2mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Author: Kat Ashmore
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Course: Lunch, Salad, Salad Dressing
Cuisine: American
Servings: 8 People
Calories: 233
Keyword: Hungry Lady Salads, lemon, quinoa, spring salad, turmeric
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5 from 5 votes

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8 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    My family adores this recipe and we have made it several times, including variation in veggies. The dressing is amazing – adding Tahini also gives it a nice creamy, nutty edge.

  2. 5 stars
    My daughter and I enjoyed this salad very much. Loved how different texture and flavors in every bite. So very good!

    1. I’m so thrilled you loved this recipe, Debbie! The textures and flavors make for the perfect lunch or side!
      Enjoy,
      Kat.

  3. 5 stars
    I made this for supper tonight. So delicious – love the different textures and flavours. I added twice the amount of roasted carrots. I think the dressing needs more lemon juice for additional flavour – next time I will add extra lemon juice from an additional half lemon.
    I will make this recipe on repeat for sure! Kat’s salads are always a hit and I haven’t had a a bad one yet!

  4. 5 stars
    I don’t know if I have enough room but here goes! This salad is delicious! It’s a labor of love because it has more steps than I usually like to prepare a “salad”. This recipe produces a big amount so I’m glad it will stay for 5 days. I love cabbage and have it in my frig almost always. I substitute cabbage for salad greens if running low so I was immediately drawn to this recipe. Every bite of this is like a new experience! Oh there’s the pear and oh shallots. I love goat cheese so I upped it to 4oz and it was 1/2 the package so no weighing. This is so light and the combinations are wonderful…sweet savory, yes please. MAKE THIS!