As promised! Here’s the first salad cooked using my new salad dressing obsession. It’s vibrant, nutrient-rich and full of fresh flavor. The creamy yogurt-based honey-mustard dressing crosses the line between creamy and vinegar-based slaws, while quinoa mediates the crunch.
This slaw is refreshing and distinctive, and I can’t keep going back for more. It’s the great recipe for creating with your leftover vegetables, since you may use any combination you’d like.
This dish is helping me accomplish my pledge to eat more cruciferous veggies this year (think cabbage, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, etc.), as they’re incredibly healthful.
Before you get started, I have some recipe notes for you. If you want to save some prep time, you can use store-bought slaw mix instead of shredding your own vegetables.
You can also leave out the quinoa, for simplicity’s sake or for a more conventional slaw texture. You might need a bit less dressing than provided, but that’s easy enough.
At first, I couldn’t decide if I liked cilantro or parsley better, so I listed them both as alternatives. I preferred the cilantro in leftovers but I know some of you can’t stand the stuff, so if that’s the case, use parsley. I prefer this slaw best the day it’s made, but leftovers pack beautifully for lunch.
Also read: Chopped Greek Salad
INGREDIENTS
- ½ cup quinoa, rinsed in a fine-mesh colander (or 1 ½ cups leftover cooked quinoa)
- 1 cup water
- ½ cup raw pepitas (hulled pumpkin seeds) or sunflower seeds
- 8 cups mixed shredded veggies (green or red cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, Brussels sprouts and/or carrots, or use roughly 20 ounces store-bought slaw mix)
- 1 small red onion, halved and thinly sliced (approximately 1 cup) (about 1 cup)
- ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro or parsley
- 1 cup Sunshine Salad Dressing, or more to taste
- Salt, to taste
INSTRUCTIONS
- To cook the quinoa: Combine the rinsed quinoa and the water in a small saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, then drop the heat to maintain a soft simmer.
- Cook until the quinoa has absorbed all of the water, around 12 to 15 minutes, lowering heat as time goes on to maintain a moderate simmer. Remove from heat, cover, and allow the quinoa rest for 5 minutes, to give it time to fluff up.
- Meanwhile, toast the pepitas in a small skillet over medium heat, stirring constantly, until aromatic and producing little popping noises, about 5 minutes. Set apart for cooling.
To make sure the onion flavor doesn’t overwhelm the salad, rinse the sliced onion under running water, then let it drain well. - In a large serving bowl (seriously, use your biggest bowl!), combine the shredded vegetables, drained onion and cilantro. Add the cooled quinoa and pepitas. Drizzle the dressing on top and toss to mix.
- Let the slaw rest for 20 minutes before serving (this is key to great flavor), then season to taste with salt, and stir in more dressing if desired. This slaw is best the day it’s made, but it keeps well in the refrigerator, covered, for up to 4 days.