Vegan Thanksgiving Salad with Creamy Lemon Dressing
Gather your friends and family around the holiday table and enjoy this Vegan Thanksgiving Salad with Creamy Lemon Dressing. It is the perfect way to start your meal. Filled with roasted delicata squash, pecan parmesan, and quinoa, this hearty vegan salad is the best healthy side dish this holiday season.
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 10kcal
Equipment
- 1 baking pan, lined to roast squash
- 1 food processor or high-speed blender to make parmesan and dressing
- 1 pot with lid to cook quinoa
Ingredients
For the squash
- 1 delicata squash
- 1 teaspoon avocado oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
For the pecan parmesan
- ½ cup raw pecans
- ¼ cup hemp hearts
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- ½ teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
For the creamy lemon dressing
- ½ cup soaked cashews *See notes below on cashews
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 teaspoons pure maple syrup honey can work, if needed
- 2 teaspoons nutritional yeast
- 1 tablespoon tahini
- Zest from one lemon
- Juice from 2 lemons
- 2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
- Optional: Pinch of red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ cup filtered water
For the salad
- 3 cups shredded kale, thick stems removed
- 1½ cups cooked quinoa, cooled
- 1 large avocado, cut into small chunks
- ¼ cup dried cranberries
- 2 shallots, thinly sliced
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a pan with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
- Prepare the delicata squash. Wash the squash, cut it in half lengthwise, deseed, and cut it into small 1/4 slices. Add the sliced delicata squash to the lined pan. Drizzle with avocado oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss so that everything is evenly coated and place them into one even layer. Roast the squash for 20 minutes, flipping halfway. Set them aside to cool.
- Cook the quinoa on the stove according to package directions. Set aside to cool.
- Make the pecan parmesan. Place all of the ingredients into the base of a food processor. This includes pecans, hemp hearts, nutritional yeast, olive oil, garlic powder, and salt.Blend for about 20 seconds until there are no large chunks. Pour the parmesan into a small bowl. Use a paper towel to remove the parmesan residue from the food processor.
- Make the dressing. Using the food processor again, add all of the dressing ingredients, except the water to the base of the food processor. This includes cashews, olive oil, maple syrup, nutritional yeast, tahini, lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and pepper.Blend the dressing for about 20 seconds. Pour in the water, scrape the sides, and blend for another 20 minutes. Set it aside.
- Build the salad. Start by adding the kale, then quinoa, and the rest of the salad ingredients. End with the dressing and toss it all up. You can serve it immediately or place it in the fridge for an hour to chill before serving.
Notes
Storage:
I recommend eating this salad within 24 hours. However, if you choose to keep leftovers, place the remaining salad in an airtight container and place it in the fridge for up to two days.
Tips + Modifications:
You can replace this lemon dressing with your favorite dressing but please note, it must be a creamy variety. I do, however, recommend the lemon dressing in the recipe.
You can swap out the pecans for walnuts in the pecan parmesan recipe if needed.
Feel free to add any additional toppings such as feta cheese or chickpeas.
I highly recommend cooking the quinoa with vegetable stock instead of water for the ultimate flavor!
Nutrition
Serving: 1cup | Calories: 10kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 0.3g | Fat: 0.04g | Saturated Fat: 0.01g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.02g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.003g | Sodium: 1mg | Potassium: 102mg | Fiber: 0.4g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 396IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 8mg | Iron: 0.2mg