This is hands down the best Moroccan Quinoa Salad you'll ever taste! It's quick to make, uses a few simple ingredients, is flavor-packed and has the perfect balance of texture.
I just got back from a trip up to Vermont, and I have to say, coming home is one of the best feelings in the world.
Even though I love spending time with my parents, I love escaping the city, I love that I can work remotely and love seeing how happy Trevi is, I miss my space, my routine, my bed (!!), my friends and of course, I miss Matt.
One of the first orders of business, when I get back from a long trip, is to meal plan. I tend to fall a little off track when I travel, so it's really important for me to set out the meals that we're going to have for the week.
First is writing down the shopping list, then I go to the store and then I feel prepared. It's so great having that solid plan in place – and a fully stocked fridge – because that way I know I have what I need to make healthy choices all week long.
I bring this up because this Moroccan Quinoa Salad is one of my go-to, post-vacay recipes. It's easy to make, it can be prepped ahead and kept in the fridge for a couple days (hello healthy lunches!), and it's a great base for a meal.
I chose not to add a protein to this salad because I wanted it to be one that you can eat as is and enjoy as a side, or customize for the diet-preferences in your house.
I'm plant-based and Matt is not, so I can whip up this salad and serve it to both of us, just adding beans to mine and chicken to his. We both get what we want, we both enjoy it, and it also means way fewer dishes for me!
How to make a Moroccan Quinoa Salad
We're using a combination of cooked quinoa and kale for the base of the salad. Then we're sprinkling in some carrots for a bit of color but also natural sweetness, some pistachios for crunch, scallions for bite and cilantro for that added depth of flavor.
But my secret weapon in this salad? Chopped dates!
I know it might sound strange, especially if you're used to eating dates in my Turtle Cookie Energy Bites, but they're actually a really natural addition to this salad. Of course, they add sweetness, but dates are also really high in fiber, are a great source of iron and magnesium.
Now I'll be honest and tell you when I was thinking about the dressing for this salad, I desperately wanted to go with a tahini base. It just felt natural, but I realized I shared my 10-minute Spicy Moroccan Salad a few years ago and that one uses tahini.
So…we're going in a different direction and using an olive oil base instead! (yes, I know it's shocking)
Here's why I adore this dressing. It's…
Tangy
Bright
Super citrusy (thanks to the lovely combination of lemon and orange)
Has the perfect blend of spices
Not too bold
And truthfully just the right amount of flavor amount to bring the salad ingredients to life.
More healthy Moroccan-inspired recipes!
Moroccan Quinoa Salad
Ingredients
for the salad:
- 2 cups cooked quinoa
- 2 cups kale finely chopped
- 1 cup carrot julienned
- 1/2 cup pistachios chopped
- 1/2 cup scallions finely sliced
- 1/2 cup cilantro finely chopped
- 4 Medjool dates pitted & chopped
for the dressing:
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- Juice of 1 lemon about 2 tablespoons
- 1 tablespoon orange juice optional for sweetness
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- Zest of 1 lemon about 1 tablespoon
- 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon coriander
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- Pinch of cinnamon optional
- Salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine all the salad ingredients.
- Add the dressing ingredients to a mason jar and shake to combine. You can also use a bowl and whisk them together until combined.
- Pour dressing over the salad and toss until everything is evenly coated.
- Allow salad it sit for 15 minutes before serving (this helps the kale soften a bit). Enjoy as is or serve with your favorite protein!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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Made this for dinner, excluding the kale since I didn’t have any and it was delicious. Served this with avocado and cucumber on the side. My husband, who turns his nose up at quinoa, had seconds ! Thank you for a great recipe !
I am so glad you both enjoyed it!!
Love this salad! Made it yesterday – gone! Making it again today – thanks for sharing!
Of course! It is one of my favorites!
This is a keeper my granddaughter is a picky eater she loves it with some grilled chicken and I added white beans to mine .Yum Yum
Sounds delicious!
I’m so looking forward to making this tonight. I’ll serve it with cajun shrimp. Thank goodness my husband doesn’t care what I cook.
Sounds awesome!
Dates are super expensive for me, wonder if raisins (I like golden raisins) would work?
I think that would be amazin!
This salad is terrific! I made it for meal prep this week and not only has it held up wonderfully, but it is delicious! I’ll definitely be making this again!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Lindsey! xo
Made this last night. It was awesome! My 17-year-old added grilled chicken and loved it too.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!!
A friend posted this salad and I made it the last two night. Didn’t have Kale the second night so I substituted spinach. It worked great though I prefer the Kale because it has a little more body. I also found it tastes even better if O leave it for a couple hours. After getting this recipe, I had to join your website. LOVE it!!
YAY!!! So glad you enjoyed it 🙂 xox
I made this salad for my mum friends today and it went down really well. I have to say I love it!
So glad you all enjoyed!
Hi I’d love to make these but want to cut back on the sugar. Would it help if I left out the dates? Any tips how to be lower on sugar levels would be great. Thanks.
Yep! The sugar is from the dates, so I’d just leave them out 😉
Alyssa this was SO GOOD!!! The flavors just worked so perfectly together. My husband and I couldn’t decide our favorite part because it all just made one epic bite!!! I added roasted cauliflower and chickpeas and it was amazing!
YAYY! So glad you guys liked it!
I wasn’t to make this salad to take to a function but one of the guests has a nut allergy so I can’t use the pistachios. What could I use to replace them that would give me a crunch?
How about some sunflower or pumpkin seeds?
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