Recipe: Crunchy Oriental Quinoa Salad

When you want something sweet, yet savory, tangy, yet crunchy, what do you turn to? Years ago I used to be OBSESSED with the Oriental Chicken Salad from Applebee’s. Have you SEEN how many calories are in that thing?

*gulp*

Have you ever gone out to eat an ordered a salad because it’s healthy? THIS SALAD IS NOT HEALTHY. Delicious, of course, but not remotely healthy.

But what if you could hit all the notes of that salad and lose almost 1,000 calories and a whopping 80 grams of fat? I think I may have nailed it here, and it’s totes simple, you guys. Here’s what you need:

Cook 1 cup of the quinoa according to package directions and set aside. In a large bowl, toss the coleslaw with the cabbage.

In a bowl or a mason jar mix together the dijon, vegan mayo, rice vinegar, honey or sweetener of choice and some freshly cracked black pepper and shake or whisk until smooth.

To serve, divide the cabbage mixture between four bowls, top with warm quinoa, sprinkle with sliced almonds and rice noodles and drizzle with dressing. Voila! Ready for eating in 20 minutes, max!

This salad is a textural dream. Crunchy almonds and rice noodles, chewy quinoa and crispy shredded cabbage mixed with the hint of tart sweetness from the dressing, so good! And the best part? It’s just as good cold the next day, because the cabbage can hold up in the refrigerator. Just pack the dressing and crunchy toppings separately and toss right before eating.

Oriental Crunch Quinoa Salad

• Servings: 4
• Time: 20mins
• Difficulty: easy
• Print

An almost vegan take on the Applebee's Oriental Chicken Salad. CAL: 481, FAT: 19g CARBS: 69g, PROT: 11g

This recipe is ALMOST vegan. If you want it to be totally vegan, swap out the honey for a mild flavored vegan sweetener, like agave or brown rice syrup.

Ingredients

Dressing

• 3 tbsp honey
• 1.5 tbsp rice vinegar
• 1/4 cup vegan mayo (I used Hampton Creek Just Mayo)
• 1 tsp dijon mustard

Salad

• 8 oz. bag coleslaw mix
• 8 oz. bag shredded red cabbage
• 1 cup uncooked quinoa

Toppings

• 1 oz. sliced almonds
• 1 can La Choy Rice Noodles (about 1 1/2 cups)

Directions

1. Cook quinoa according to package directions.
2. In a shaker jar, combine honey, rice vinegar, vegan mayo and mustard together.
3. Toss coleslaw and shredded cabbage together with warm quinoa.
4. Top with almonds and noodles and drizzle with dressing.

I really hope you try this one because even The Hubs loved it!

Happy Thursday!