Summer Salad with Quinoa Recipe and Creamy Poppy Seed Dressing

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As I’ve been writing the last few weeks in some of my blog posts, we are on a mission to indulge in all things clean eating and that’s why I created this Summer Salad with Quinoa Recipe and Creamy Poppy Seed Dressing.  We aren’t perfect, nor are we striving for perfection, and we still appreciate a once a week cheat day.  We are still learning on what to cook and how to cook it, but one thing that is for certain, man do we feel better and our bodies seem happy with what we are putting in it.

One of my old chefs usually to always tell me that are bodies are temples and we should not be loading it up with a bunch of over sugared, over preserved and processed garbage.  When I was in college I could care less of what he was talking about, but now that I’m 36 and I can absolutely feel and see the effects of consuming a pour diet.  I feel sluggish, my mind seems foggy and all I want to do is nap all day long.  If you are feeling that way too then it is 100% time for a change.  Even if it’s a slow change for you, start to make it now don’t wait.  It’s better to invest in your diet now instead of health bills later when your pour eating habits start to reap serious effects on you.

I’ve always enjoyed vegetables and although all vegetables are good for you, I often wasn’t eating the right ones.  I love carrots and celery, and tomatoes, but what body’s crave most often are leafy greens.  No that piece of iceberg lettuce on your burger doesn’t count, you need to be digging into a green salad with tatsoi, arugula, spinach, etc, which obviously why I made this Summer Salad with Quinoa Recipe and Creamy Poppy Seed Dressing.

While I was craving a huge green leafy salad I also knew I wanted some delicious nutty grains in there so I looked no further than Bob’s Red Mill Quinoa.  We almost always have a bag of Bob’s quinoa in our cupboards and eat it quite often.  It is absolutely delicious cooked plain in some water and a bit of salt, and is even more amazing when mixed into soups, rice replacements, and my personal favorite, salads.  Quinoa is a complete protein with all of the essential amino acids and you don’t have to worry about the long term effects of animal protein fat or animal growth hormones.  Think of it like this, quinoa is a grain that is just as loaded with protein as the steak you may be consuming but is WAY healthier for you.

With my leafy green salads, I usually like to incorporate fruits into it.  Doing this seasonally of course makes the most sense and because tomatoes, fresh berries and peaches are peaking then why not load up a salad with all that goodness.  If it were winter I would add things like apples or pears, but since it’s summer I am trying to make it linger extra hard :-).

For the dressing I made a really simple creamy poppy seed dressing loaded with yogurt, lemon, white balsamic vinegar, a touch of honey, avocado oil and poppy seeds.  I put everything into a mason jar and shook it up like crazy until it was emulsified, or combined.  It is so dang delicious and honestly would phenomenal on just about any salad you may make, so in other words make it even if you don’t make this salad.

One of my favorite things about making salads is that you can put in it whatever you’d like, just always be sure to stay seasonal.  Nothing worse than eating a salad loaded with ingredients that don’t taste like they should when they’re in peak season.  By doing this you will save money since things like fresh berries are ridiculously expensive during those winter months, and definitely aren’t worth the money you will spend on them.  Well I hope this post for Summer Salad with Quinoa Recipe and Creamy Poppy Seed Dressing helps inspire you and motivates you to take better care of your body if you aren’t already.  Happy Salad Making!

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Summer Salad with Quinoa Recipe and Creamy Poppy Seed Dressing

This Summer Salad with Quinoa Recipe and Creamy Poppy Seed Dressing is loaded with nutrients and perfect for those hot summer days.

Course Salad

Author Chef Billy Parisi

Ingredients

For the Dressing:

• ¼ cup of whole fat yogurt
• juice of 1 lemon
• 2 tablespoons of white balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon of honey
• ½ cup of avocado oil
• 1 teaspoon of poppy seeds
• Kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste

For the Salad:

• 2 cups of cooked and chilled Bob’s Red Mill Quinoa
• 8 cups of packed leafy greens
• 2 cooked chicken breasts sliced, or 1 cup of pulled rotisserie chicken
• ½ cup of blackberries
• ½ cup of raspberries
• ½ cup of blueberries
• ½ cup of strawberries
• ½ cup of pitted assorted cherries
• 1 peeled seeded and sliced avocado
• 1 cup of sliced assorted cherry tomatoes
• micro greens for garnish
• Kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste.

Instructions

1. Dressing: Whisk all of the ingredients together in a medium size bowl until combined. Chill before using.
2. Salad: Combine all of the ingredients together in a large bowl and dress with dressing.
3. Serve!