This Green Bean Quinoa Salad with Maple Citrus Dressing is totally crave-worthy and can easily be made in advance for a tasty holiday side dish that’s sure to impress!
Somehow my bathroom scale found it’s way into the kitchen.
Let me rephrase that: my two year old dragged my scale from it’s banishment under the dark corner of my bookshelf into the kitchen, a mere 2 feet from the pantry door. She’s connived it’s a toy. I know better, of course. It’s evil.
And it’s taunting me.
Sure I could move it, but at this point it feels like admitting defeat. After over a year of not weighing myself, I’ve rekindled my relationship with the scale. We didn’t part on bad terms by any means, but rather decide it was best we go our separate ways. See other people. Never to speak again aside from the occasional late night text…
But now there it lies: silently judging me on the way to the pantry.
It taunts me when I reach for a second bowl of cereal instead of a banana, and practically screams at me when I poke around for the chickpea’s stash of Halloween candy.
It knows.
Currently we’re at a bit of a standstill. I’ll be the first to admit that I’ve put on a few pounds since the surgery and a bit more during the move, and the peer pressure this tiny electronic emits isn’t the end of the world. I sort of like it. Of course it’s more of a love/hate sort of like. The same way you may enjoy a really terrifying movie or the weirdly intoxicating smell of permanent markers. That. I also kind of want to drop something really really heavy on it.
Whoops! That case of pumpkin just flew right out of my hands!
Maybe we’ll forget to pack it during our next move or an overzealous kitchen dance party will render it airborne, flinging it into the nearest wall, or with any luck, directly into the trash can.
I’m pretty sure its days are numbered.
In other news, this recipe won’t tip the scale, not the slightest bit. In fact, you may earn yourself a pat on the back for this one! Green bean quinoa salad FTW!
Oh, and in case anyone doubts the effectiveness of having one’s scale in the kitchen, I’ll have you know that today I ate an entire sliced cucumber with carrot-ginger dressing as a snack instead of the mini Milky Way bars I originally went in there for.
I ate the candy after.
Q: What kind of quinoa should I use for this salad?
You can use white quinoa, red quinoa, or a blend of both! Whatever you have should work marvelously. Red quinoa has a chewier and nuttier texture while white quinoa has extra fluff factor with a more delicate texture. Both options are gloriously gluten-free.
Green Bean Quinoa Salad + Homemade Maple Citrus Dressing
No boring salads here!
This healthy winter salad is totally crave-worthy and can easily be made ahead of time, making it perfect for the holidays. Even better? It won’t take up prime oven real estate like traditional green bean dishes so you’ll be able to save space for turkey and stuffing.
It’s one of those salads that tastes better and better as it sits in the dressing and I could not stop going back for more!
The dressing is light and citrusy and a perfect compliment to the fresh, crisp green beans, juicy oranges, and nutty quinoa. The roasted almonds add the perfect amount of crunch to the salad and the feta makes the cheese addict in me very happy. To say I’m obsessed with this flavor combination is putting it lightly; I can’t wait to play it up in more dishes this season!
Green Bean Quinoa Salad with Maple Citrus Dressing
Ingredients
- 1 cup dry quinoa (white, red, or tri-color)
- 1 lb green beans
- ¾ cup mandarin orange segments or clementines
- 1/4-1/3 cup feta
- 1/4-1/3 cup chopped roasted almonds
- salt and pepper to taste
- parsley optional garnish
MAPLE CITRUS DRESSING:
- ¼ cup avocado oil
- 2 TBSP fresh lime juice
- 2 TBSP orange juice
- 2 TBSP pure maple syrup
- a pinch of sea salt
- a dash of black pepper
Instructions
- Rinse quinoa in a mesh strainer and cook according to package directions.
- While your quinoa cooks, trim green beans, cutting each in half.
- Set aside a medium bowl of ice water for your ice bath.
- Fill a pan with water and set to boil on high.
- Once water is at a rolling boil, add green beans and cook for 5-8 minutes or until they reach your ideal tenderness. I like mine al dente; softened but still crisp!
- Drain and immediately submerge beans in ice bath to halt the cooking process.
- While the beans chill, fluff your quinoa and add a dash of salt and pepper, to taste.
- In a serving dish, combine quinoa with beans, along with orange segments and chopped almonds.
- Whisk together dressing and pour over salad.
- Allow salad to sit and soak up dressing for optimal flavor. I left mine for 30 minutes but since the salad and dressing are dairy-free, you could even leave it out for longer.
- Top with feta and optional parsley to garnish before serving. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
so . . . how was it?!
So flipping delicious! We’re loving this sweet and savory green bean quinoa salad!
If you get a chance to try this tasty green bean quinoa salad, let me know!
Leave some love in the comment form below or tag your photos with @peasandcrayons on Instagram so I can happy dance over your creation. I can’t wait to see what you whip up!
More Gorgeous Green Bean Recipes
- NEW! Cheesy Roasted Green Beans
- Spicy Shrimp and Green Beans
- Spicy Sriracha Green Beans (READER FAVORITE!)
- Greek Green Bean Salad
I thought this recipe was really tasty, especially the dressing. It makes way more that 4 servings.. I would guess 12 servings at least. I think it’s easier to eat if beans are cut into 1 inch slices. I would also add 1/4 chopped onions for some additional interest, and add both lime & orange zest for an additional punch… The dressing also needs more than a pinch of salt. I’d up to 1/2 teaspoon.
This salad was a huge hit last night. Thank you for the great recipe.
So so happy to hear it Sandi. Thank you!
I just made this yummy salad for lunch and it was amazing! I wish I could give this fabulous recipe 10 stars instead of 5.
Thank you Denay! I’m glad you’re loving the recipe!
This looks truly delicious! Great idea to add some mandarin parts to a salad. And I’m inspired by you eating a cucumber with ginger dressing! I tend to eat cucumber with a little bith of hummus, but this sounds like an awesome alternative! Thanks for the tip!