Quick Cook: Crunchy Cabbage & Quinoa Salad with Mango and Chimichurri

This big grain salad pops with texture, color and flavor from crunchy purple cabbage, fresh corn and jicama, succulent mango and bright and crispy green onion. Doused in an impossible-not-to-love chimichurri dressing, this salad is a hit at every party I’ve taken it to. Vegans, vegetarians, gluten-free folks, kids, adults, pregnant people, sweet tooths, savory folks, sour fiends and everyone in between all love piling it high and topping it with some roasted pepitas and maybe even some cotija cheese. Don’t have a party to go to? Make a big batch for yourself to have a week’s worth of gourmet lunches.

As with all salads, the choice of veggies is not set in stone and can be switched up to match your preference or what you have in your fridge. That being said, I almost want to insist on jicama being in the mix, as it stays extra-crunchy and won’t make the salad soggy. Make sure to add the dressing and mango right before consuming to avoid muddling.

Crunchy Cabbage and Quinoa Salad with Mango and Chimichurri

Serves

INGREDIENTS

3 cups uncooked quinoa

4½ cups water

1 small purple cabbage, finely shredded

2 cups corn kernels, fresh or frozen

1 small jicama, peeled and diced

2 bunches green onions, white and light green parts finely sliced

2 ripe mangos, diced

For the chimichurri:

1 bunch cilantro

1 bunch parsley

3 small cloves garlic

1 teaspoon salt

¼ cup red wine vinegar

¼ cup fresh lemon juice

½ cup olive oil

Optional Toppings:

Roasted pepitas

Crumbled Cotija cheese

DIRECTIONS

Add the quinoa to 4½ cups salted boiling water; cover and simmer on low for 18 minutes. Allow to cool completely.

Meanwhile, make the chimichurri by blending the ingredients in a blender or food processor until achieving the texture of thin pesto.