A high-protein, colorful, fresh salad ideal for meal prep? Sign me up! My Spicy Quinoa Crunch Salad and Ginger Lime Dressing is just as delicious as it sounds. It’s full of a wide variety of plant nutrients as well as healthy, lean protein.

By using pre-packaged shredded cabbage, rotisserie chicken, and frozen edamame, you can make this salad in less than 30 minutes.

As the quinoa cooks, make the dressing, shred the chicken, and toss the salad ingredients together. Either toss together in a large salad bowl or divide the ingredients up into five individual servings for a week’s worth of lunches. 

We have to give a moment for the spicy cashews! Now, that can be a snack in and of itself. Whenever I make them, it’s hard not to devour them right off the baking tray. Make a double (or triple) batch and store it in your pantry so you have enough for your lunches throughout the week. 

This recipe is one of my favs and it’s quickly become one of yours too. I love hearing how you’re meal prepping this over the weekend so your weekday lunches are a no-brainer for you. If you’re bringing this to an office, just be prepared for your coworkers to ask you for the recipe.    

This dish is also packed with protein – a whopping 42 grams per serving! Protein is something I’ve been prioritizing over the last year. I really notice a difference in my energy levels when I aim for at least 110 grams of protein per day.

You can find this recipe and 20 other high protein, gluten free, dairy free, and refined sugar-free recipes in my first ebook, Protein Empowered. Check it out here.

Key Ingredients for Quinoa Crunch Salad

Most of the ingredients for this rainbow salad are likely already in your fridge or pantry. I love that this salad is naturally gluten-free and dairy-free, and it can easily be vegan if you swap the chicken for a plant-based protein. 

• Quinoa: A protein and fiber-packed seed, quinoa is gluten-free and full of vitamins and minerals. Besides the health benefits, I love the way the dressing quickly absorbs into this grain. You can use jasmine or brown rice if you prefer. 
• Broth: Cooking your grains — like quinoa — in broth elevates their flavor. My go-to brand for chicken or beef bone broth is @kettleandfire. Of course, you can cook the quinoa in water if you don’t have any broth on hand. Chicken stock, while not as nutritious as bone broth, works well too. 
• Cashews: Raw cashews are always stocked in my pantry. It’s what I use to make my Creamy Vanilla Cashew Milk and is tossed in a lot of my salad recipes, including my Cashew Chicken Lettuce Wraps. 

• Sriracha: I don’t typically tolerate super spicy foods well, but a touch of sriracha brings the spice element to the spicy cashews. I love @yellowbirdsauce because it has cleaner ingredients and is less spicy than the typical brand. Add more or less, depending on your taste preference. Regardless, these spicy cashews are addicting! Try to leave some for the actual salad, if you can.
• Honey: Since I try to avoid added sugars as much as possible, I lean on natural sweeteners like honey and maple syrup to add a touch of sweetness to my salad dressings. Choose local raw honey, if available. 
• Edamame: Frozen edamame is a standby in my freezer. Pre-shelled edamame thaws relatively quickly and can be tossed into any salad for a protein boost. There’s no need to cook frozen edamame because it’s already been blanched. Feel free to omit if you’re intolerant to soy. 

• Protein: Buying a rotisserie chicken is a quick hack for protein-forward, fast meals. It’s great for adding to salads, including this one. Of course, if you have leftover chicken thighs or breasts use those instead. Or, if you’re plant-based you can leave this out entirely or substitute for seared tofu or tempeh. 

How to Make Spicy Quinoa Crunch Salad and Ginger Lime Dressing

MAKE THE QUINOA

In a small sauce pot, add the quinoa, bone broth, and a large pinch of salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook for 13-15 minutes until the moisture has been absorbed. Let rest for a few minutes and fluff with a fork.

MAKE THE SPICY CASHEWS

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Toss the cashews with the avocado oil, chili powder, sriracha, honey, salt together and spread out on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Roast for 20 minutes, flipping halfway through. 

MAKE THE GINGER LIME DRESSING

While the quinoa and cashews are cooking, make the dressing. Whisk together the avocado oil, lime juice, tamari, honey, sriracha, grated ginger, garlic, and salt. 

PREP THE VEGGIES

Chop the sweet peppers, green onion, and cilantro. 

ASSEMBLE THE SALAD

If eating immediately, in a large salad bowl, toss all of the prepared elements together (cooked quinoa, spicy cashews, cabbage, chopped veggies, edamame, and cooked chicken ) with the dressing.

If meal prepping, divide the ingredients (see below for layering instructions) and omit the cashews until ready to eat. 

Make This Into Meal Prep

The beauty of this salad is that it can be made up to four days ahead of time! Meal prep this on a Sunday and you’ll have lunches ready in your fridge for five days. It’s a time-saving hack for those weeks when you know you’ll be particularly busy. And when you have the same size jars or containers, then you can easily divide all the ingredients up. The key is to layer everything in a specific way so you don’t end up with a soggy salad at the end of the week. 

Steps to Meal Prepping this Salad:

1. Get all of your ingredients prepared and ready. 
2. Set up five 32-ounce jars (these are the extra wide-mouth mason jars I like to use). Divide the dressing and layer it at the bottom of each jar. 
3. Add the chopped peppers, followed by the shredded cabbage, quinoa, edamame, cooked and shredded chicken, chopped cilantro, chopped green onion, and spicy cashews. 

Frequently Asked Questions and Recipe Variations

Here are the questions I’m asked the most about this salad, as well as some recipe swaps! 

Other Hearty Salads You’ll Love: 

• Broccoli Crunch Salad
• Roasted Sweet Potato Kale Salad
• Edamame Quinoa Kale Salad