With-a-Crunch Salad

With-a-Crunch Salad certainly has crunch, no doubt. Toasted quinoa will absolutely sound as good as it tastes, and it tastes phenomenal! But With-a-Crunch Salad is more than just the crunch! A creamy, vibrant, and refreshing green goddess dressing made from scratch is just wonderful! And when that dressing is draped over garden-fresh vegetables, smooth avocado, and tangy goat cheese? Mmmm, “irresistible” is just one way to describe it!

Ingredients

For the dressing:

• 2 scallions, roughly chopped, white and light green parts only
• 1 medium ripe avocado, peeled and pitted
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest, plus 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon champagne vinegar
• 6 tablespoons water, plus more, to taste
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 cup fresh basil, chopped
• 1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped
• 4 tablespoons chives, snipped
• 1 clove garlic
• kosher salt, to taste
• freshly cracked black pepper, to taste

For the salad:

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup quinoa, cooked
• 3 heads little gem lettuce
• 2 Easter Egg radishes, sliced
• 2 avocados, peeled and pitted, sliced
• 1 (4-ounce) log goat cheese, crumbled
• fresh basil, optional, to taste, roughly chopped
• fresh chives, optional, to taste, roughly chopped
• fresh tarragon, optional, to taste, roughly chopped
• kosher salt, to taste
• freshly ground black pepper, to taste

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Directions

Step 1 –In the container of a food processor or a high-powered blender, add the scallions, 1 of the avocados, the lemon zest, the lemon juice, the champagne vinegar, 6 tablespoons of the water, 1/4 cup of the olive oil, 1 cup of the chopped basil, the parsley, 4 tablespoons of the chives, the garlic, the salt, and the black pepper and blend until smooth.

Step 2 –Taste the dressing for seasoning, adding more of the salt and the pepper as needed; add in the extra water to adjust for consistency if the dressing is too thick.

Step 3 –Refrigerate the dressing while preparing the salad.

Step 4 –In a large skillet over medium heat, heat the remaining olive oil.

Step 5 –Add the cooked quinoa and toast until it is golden-brown and crunchy, about 3-4 minutes.

Step 6 –Transfer the quinoa to a plate to cool.

Step 7 –In a large serving bowl, add the lettuce, the radishes, the remaining avocados, the goat cheese, the remaining basil, the remaining chives, the tarragon, the salt, and the pepper and toss to combine.

Step 8 –Add the cooled quinoa to the salad and toss to combine.

Step 9 –Serve drizzled with the dressing.