Asian-Inspired Quinoa Slaw Salad

This versatile, easy Asian-Inspired Quinoa Slaw Salad delivers a satisfying crunch and rich umami flavor--fresh and hearty nourishment for lunch or dinner, any time of year!

The leaves are turning, temperatures dipping, mornings and evenings opening and closing more notably with quiet embrace. We’re well past the liminal space of the summer to fall bridge, but not past limbo. Stunning, ephemeral autumn is all about transitions—vivid brilliance and serene reflections, abundance and loss. The mercurial nature is echoed in the weather, with bursts of heat injected into decompressing coolness.

As our natural rhythms start to shift, there’s no reason to salad routines hibernate! This easy, versatile slaw salad offers crisp refreshment with savory elements. There are also plenty of opportunities for shortcuts, making an easy dish that can aid in cleaning out the fridge or be thrown together quickly with a little minimally active advance prep. It can also travel well.

Families far away combined with a general lust for travel and a solid chess tournament lineup can add up to expensive excursions. Cooking for ourselves while away helps to mitigate cost while also just being more pleasant for our particular plant-based palates. Sometimes, though, actual “cooking” isn’t possible. Such is most often the case with F’s chess tournaments, when we’re likely to be staying at host hotels. Typically, these come with mini fridges, but microwaves aren’t guaranteed. On these occasions, ready-made salads are a stalwart staple.

Many salad packs have cheese, egg, or both but there’s almost always an Asian example that hits right for our family. The dressings are usually more sugary than I’d like, but when on-the-go, we can let that go. This salad, though, comes close to providing the savory flavor we love without the sugar. I like to include just a touch of toasted sesame oil, but you can omit that if you want to go completely oil-free.

Power-packed and satisfying

This salad isn't just easy and delicious; the plant-based ingredients combine for a nutritional powerhouse. F isn’t a huge fan of quinoa on its own, but he appreciates the protein-packed, fiber-full, hearty foundation of quinoa and brown rice, both excellent sources of sustained energy. I use a rice cooker on the mixed ssetting to prep these with almost zero effort, but stovetop works great, too, and you can certainly go with quinoa only if you prefer. You can also cut back on the grains, even by half, for lighter, crispy, refreshing results.

The bulk of the crunch comes from a prepared tri-color slaw mix, loaded with various vitamins and antioxidants from cabbage and carrots. I like to toss in some sesame sticks, too, for an extra toasty, tasty crunch. Elevate the nutritional profile even more, if you like, opting for a broccoli slaw mix. Or, if you’ve got the time and inclination, make your own. Calcium-rich edamame add to the protein quotient while also contributing healthy fats and iron. Finally, the tangy Asian-inspired dressing ties it all together, delivering complex flavor from ingredients like sesame and ginger, keeping this slaw healthy, satisfying, and totally vegan. I hope you enjoy!

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Quick and Easy Asian-Inspired QUinoa Slaw Salad

Yield: 6 -8

Author: Wendy McMillan

Prep time: 40 MinCook time: 40 MinInactive time: 30 MinTotal time: 1 H & 50 M

This versatile, easy Asian-Inspired Quinoa Slaw iSalad delivers a satisfying crunch and rich umami flavor--fresh and hearty nourishment for lunch, a side, or dinner, any time of year!

Ingredients

For the dressing

• ⅓ Cup low-sodium tamari sauce
• ¼ Cup rice vinegar
• 1 Tablespoon lime juice
• 1 Teaspoon toasted sesame oil
• ½ Tablespoon maple syrup
• 1 spring onion, thinly sliced (white and light green parts)
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• Pinch red pepper flakes (optional)

For the Salad

• 1 14-ounce package coleslaw mix (I like using tri-color or broccoli slaw), or thereabouts
• ¾ Cup quinoa, rinsed
• ¾ Cup brown rice (Option to omit in favor of more quinoa instead)
• 1 ½ Cups water
• 1 ½ Cups vegetable broth
• 8 ounces tofu, cubed and baked
• 2 Cups shelled edamame, ready-to-eat
• Sesame sticks and chopped cilantro for garnish, optional

Instructions

1. Cook the grains: Combine the rinsed quinoa, brown rice, and water or broth in a medium saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, then decrease to a gentle simmer. Cook until the liquid is absorbed, approximately 40 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature.*
2. While the quinoa-rice mixture is cooking, prepare the dressing: place all ingredients in a small lidded jar and shake vigorously to combine. Set aside.
3. When the quinoa mixture has cooled, transfer to a large serving bowl and add the remaining salad ingredients. Toss/stir to combine.
4. Add the dressing and stir to coat through. Serve topped with cilantro and sesame sticks, if desired.

Notes

If you have a rice cooker, it will do wonders with a fluffy quinoa-rice mixture! Cook on the "mixed setting".

Nutrition Facts

Calories

298

Fat

6 g

Sat. Fat

1 g

Carbs

46 g

Fiber

6 g

Net carbs

40 g

Sugar

5 g

Protein

15 g

Sodium

974 mg

Cholesterol

0 mg