A superfood packed salad that's full of detoxifying ingredients, this detox quinoa salad comes together in minutes and is also gluten-free and vegan.
I think the most sacred part about food is its ability to heal. And not in just the curb your cravings kind of way (lookin' at you chocolate!). I mean really heal us from the inside out.
If you remove all the flavors and aromas that come with food and think about its purpose, what I'm saying makes sense. Our ancestors weren't necessarily concerned with how their food tasted. They needed it to survive. Food is our fuel. It's what helps keep our cells and organs working, and without it, we wouldn't be here.
So if and/or when you find yourself reaching for something that isn't so healthy (like chips, cookies, french fries, etc.), try thinking about this: everything we put into our bodies either helps or hinders how we function.
Wouldn't we want to make sure that we're eating the best possible ingredients we can source?
Why This Detox Quinoa Salad Rocks
As this idea continues to grow and gets more attention, and the wellness world continues to expand, we as consumers are getting smarter. We're learning, we're evolving and with that change, the market shifts with us.
You can now find healthy, nutrient-dense food is becoming more accessible to us every day. It's available at airports, gas stations, restaurant menus, even fast food chains. And is almost as if eating healthy has become our new normal. It's embraced and celebrated.
So that's what we're doing with this detox quinoa salad. We're making healthy food taste good, but also deeply nourishing for your body. Here were my goals for creating this salad:
- It had to be full of foods that detoxify your body
- It had to be a salad that was allergy friendly (this has no: gluten, dairy, meat, egg, corn, soy, nuts, shellfish or sugar)
- The ingredients had to be easy to find (read: anyone can make this)
- It had to use fewer than 10 ingredients
- You have to be able to make it in less than 10 minutes
What Foods Help with Detox?
The first was where I needed to do a little homework. I started researching foods that promoted detoxification and after getting a lot of conflicting information out there, I was able to finally narrow down a list of my 8 favorite detox foods.
To me, the term detox really means to support your internal systems that are responsible for detox. You don't need to go on any crazy cleanse or juice fast to detoxify. Your body does it naturally every single day.
So what you can do is support your organs – mainly your liver and digestive system – by feeding/fueling them with foods that help them do their jobs more effectively.
Our Detox-Friendly Ingredients for this Quinoa Salad
After getting my list together it guided me in the right direction and from there I was able to check off those boxes I wanted to get. And while perhaps not every ingredient in this salad is detoxifying, many of them are. From that list (and a few others), I chose to include:
- Beets. Beets not only contain many vitamins and minerals (like zinc, iron, and magnesium), but they also support both the gallbladder and the liver. Both organs are critical to our health as they help break down food and remove toxins.
- Lemon. Lemon is often on the forefront when we talk about detoxing; and really, who doesn't love a little lemon? Lemons are alkaline-forming, meaning they help to balance out the acidity of many of the other foods we consume. Not only that, but lemon also stimulates enzymes that help to convert toxins into a form that our bodies can more easily release.
- Garlic. Garlic is known to repel monsters, right? Well, it works the same with toxins. It's an antiviral, an antiseptic and an antibiotic. It all helps with detoxification.
- Arugula. Arugula is part of the cruciferous family of vegetables (think broccoli, kale, cabbage, etc.) which means it's high in fiber and antioxidants. The fiber helps keep you regular which keeps your tummy happy and your digestive system in track.
And on top of it all, this detox quinoa salad could not be easier to make. Really, you just toss the main salad ingredients into the bowl – arugula, steamed beets, chickpeas, and quinoa – then whisk up the dressing and toss it all together.
It makes a quick lunch, a perfect side dish or could even be eaten as a main course! Any which way you choose to whip it up, I think your taste buds and your tummy are going to be quite happy!
More Detox Recipes to try:
- Copycat Whole Foods Detox Salad
- Hidden Veggie Pineapple Green Smoothie
- Detox Turmeric Lentil Soup
- Super Healthy Green Detox Soup
Easy Detox Quinoa Salad
Ingredients
- 4 cups arugula
- 1 cup cooked quinoa
- 1 cup cooked beets preferably organic, diced
- 1 15 oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
for the dressing:
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 2 tablespoons tahini
- 1 tablespoon coarse mustard
- 1 garlic clove , grated
- 1 tablespoon water (if needed)
- Salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix together all the salad ingredients.
- Whisk together the vinaigrette ingredients. Pour of the salad and toss until everything is combined.
- Refrigerate for 30 minutes (optional) or serve immediately.
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I am having trouble printing the recipe from this page. I tried Chrome and Safari browsers. The print button opens the same page in a new tab.
Hmm, I’m not sure why. It doesn’t do that on any browser I have tried so I don’t know what the problem is. The print button should take you to THIS link
Could you tell me how many servings this is ?
This recipe makes 2 servings
Hey Alyssa, I’m excited to try this great recipe ! I was thinking to meal prep this, how long would you say the dressing can be stored ? 😇
I would say up to a week! Happy prepping 🙂
Is there any substitute for quinoa? It makes me very sick.
Another grain will work!
This looks delicious and I can’t wait to make it! However, I am on a low sodium diet for health reasons. Is there anyway to lower the sodium?
As long as you rinse your chickpeas, you should be fine! That’s the only place that sodium could be hiding. I’ll look at getting the nutrition facts updated 🙂
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This salad looks amazing! We dont eat anything from a can so would you be able to tell me the measurements for how many approx cups of chick peas you think… ??? Cant wait to make this for the weekend!
I would say about 1/2 cup dried chickpeas would probably work!
You can certainly see your skills in the work you write. The world hopes for more passionate writers like you who are not afraid to say how they believe. Always follow your heart.
Wow. This quinoa salad looks so good!
How easy can this be – my family loves beets – You cannot imagine how help you are to us.
Holy Hannah!!! This salad was GOOD!!! I am all about fresh and whole foods. I am a baker/wedding cake decorator (which means I am always covered in grease 🙁 Boo!) so this salad was just the ticket. My daughter, who loves quinoa but nothing else, said that her new favorite food is beets. I can honestly say this salad will be a regular in our home. 🙂 Thanks Alyssa!
your post inspired me to make some quinoa. I didn’t use the same ingredients as you but used mushrooms and feta cheese instead, check it out! http://www.madebysos.org/food/mushroom-and-feta-cheese-quinoa-recipe-healthy-recipe/
WOW! This salad is sooooooo good!
This looks yummy and healthy. I will try this soon. Some of the ingrediants I do not have but will try to have in my pantry. I have been telling a few people about Quinoa some have already heard of it. Some like kids look and turn away. But they will turn around. I haven’t as yet tried any of the colored Quinoa but I will.
Thanks, Emma
Would love to hear what you think of it once you try it 🙂 And please let me know what your kids think also!
You are so right, what we eat either helps our bodies or it doesn’t. When you can look at it from that perspective, it’s often easier to make good food choices. This detox salad looks great. Until a couple of years ago, I didn’t think I liked beets (because I had only ever tried the canned kind – ick), but after discovering fresh beets – love ’em.
I was in the same boat, but now that I eat fresh beets, I just simply love them!! Would love to hear what you think of this salad, it’s definitely a favorite in our house 🙂
That looks yummy! I’m going to have to try this one. How many servings is it supposed to be?
This serves two, but can easily be doubled, tripled or even more!! Hope you love it as much as I do; please come back and tell me what you think 🙂
What would you use in place of tahini as we’re allergic to sesame? I think another nut butter — maybe almond wouldn’t be as noticeable as peanut. Or maybe I’ll leave it out altogether.
Honestly, I think I’d use something like cashew butter. And I might add some crushed garlic to give it a little tang. Would love to hear what you end up trying!
Great idea. I never would have thought of cashew butter.
I found “wow-butter” at Wal-mat. Tastes like peanut butter, but it’s May from soy beans. Very very good!
Thanks but I only eat fermented soy. The cashew butter will work.