The Best Quinoa Salad
This is one of the best quinoa salad recipes I’ve made! It’s packed with fresh veggies, texture, and flavor. Our easy homemade dressing makes the quinoa taste incredible! Everyone I’ve made this quinoa salad for loved it (even those who don’t typically like quinoa). I’m not surprised, though. Adam isn’t the biggest quinoa fan but he loves this salad! We pack in so much texture and flavor. It’s hard not to love it! Our homemade quinoa salad dressing calls for honey, but if you wish to make a vegan quinoa salad, swap for maple syrup, and you are all set! Key Ingredients This is one of the best quinoa salad recipes because it is packed with goodies. I add lots of colorful and crunchy vegetables, nuts, seeds, dried fruit, and chickpeas for sticking power. Quinoa: We’ve shared an entire article guiding you on how to cook quinoa, but here are the main takeaways: Rinse quinoa before you cook it to cut down on the bitter flavor. For perfectly fluffy quinoa, use 2 cups of water for 1 cup of dried quinoa. Veggies: I use fresh cucumber, bok choy, grated carrots, and bell pepper, but any fresh, crispy veggie or roasted veggies work in this salad. I especially love the bok choy, which adds a mild and crunchy texture. Nuts and seeds: I love buttery pine nuts and pepitas. Walnuts, pistachios, almonds, or seeds like sunflower seeds are also excellent options. Dried fruit: In the photos, we’ve added dried wild blueberries. Cranberries or raisins will also work. If they are in season, fresh fruit will work, too. I cannot wait until summer, so I can add a handful of fresh blueberries to this salad. Fresh herbs: Add color and flavor. I love stirring in a generous amount of parsley and mint. Chickpeas: Make our quinoa salad even more hearty and satisfying. You can use canned or home-cooked chickpeas (here’s how to cook dried chickpeas). Quinoa salad dressing: I keep things simple with apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, honey, and extra-virgin olive oil. For a vegan dressing, swap the honey for maple syrup. Add an extra spritz of fresh lemon juice if you have it. It brightens everything up even more. Quinoa: We’ve shared an entire article guiding you on how to cook quinoa, but here are the main takeaways: Rinse quinoa before you cook it to cut down on the bitter flavor. For perfectly fluffy quinoa, use 2 cups of water for 1 cup of dried quinoa. Veggies: I use fresh cucumber, bok choy, grated carrots, and bell pepper, but any fresh, crispy veggie or roasted veggies work in this salad. I especially love the bok choy, which adds a mild and crunchy texture. Nuts and seeds: I love buttery pine nuts and pepitas. Walnuts, pistachios, almonds, or seeds like sunflower seeds are also excellent options. Dried fruit: In the photos, we’ve added dried wild blueberries. Cranberries or raisins will also work. If they are in season, fresh fruit will work, too. I cannot wait until summer, so I can add a handful of fresh blueberries to this salad. Fresh herbs: Add color and flavor. I love stirring in a generous amount of parsley and mint. Chickpeas: Make our quinoa salad even more hearty and satisfying. You can use canned or home-cooked chickpeas (here’s how to cook dried chickpeas). Quinoa salad dressing: I keep things simple with apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, honey, and extra-virgin olive oil. For a vegan dressing, swap the honey for maple syrup. Add an extra spritz of fresh lemon juice if you have it. It brightens everything up even more. Find the full recipe with measurements below. My Tips for Making the Best Quinoa Salad Tip 1: Cook your quinoa first and fluff with fork: Start by rinsing your quinoa under cold water to remove saponin, which makes unrinsed quinoa taste bitter. Then, add the rinsed quinoa to a saucepan and water (I use 2 parts water to 1 part quinoa to cook it). Cook the quinoa uncovered until the liquid is absorbed, 10 to 15 minutes. Set aside the saucepan, and let the quinoa steam and fluff up. Then, fluff it with a fork and allow it to cool a bit. For more tips on preparing quinoa check out our guide for how to cook quinoa. Tip 2: While the quinoa cools, prepare the rest of the salad. I make the salad dressing in a small bowl and whisk everything together. It takes a couple of minutes. Then, I add the cooled quinoa and all of the remaining salad ingredients to a big bowl. Drizzle the dressing over everything and give it all a good toss. Easy! More of Our Favorite Quinoa Recipes How to Cook Quinoa Black Bean and Quinoa Salad Tahini Lemon Quinoa Bowls Easy Vegetarian Chili (made with sweet potatoes and quinoa) How to Cook Quinoa Black Bean and Quinoa Salad Tahini Lemon Quinoa Bowls Easy Vegetarian Chili (made with sweet potatoes and quinoa) The Best Quinoa Salad PREP 10 mins COOK 15 mins TOTAL 25 mins PREP 10 mins COOK 15 mins TOTAL 25 mins This incredible quinoa salad recipe is packed with superfoods. It’s easy to make and makes a great make-ahead salad. If you are a fan of black beans you might to try making our quinoa black bean salad. Makes about 8 cups Watch Us Make the Recipe You Will Need For the Salad 1 cup dried quinoa 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas or 1 ½ cups cooked chickpeas 1/2 medium English cucumber, diced (1 cup) 1 medium bell pepper, chopped (1 cup) 1 baby bok choy, chopped (2 cups) 1 cup additional grated or chopped veggies like carrots or broccoli stems, optional 1/2 cup (65g) nuts and seeds like walnuts, pine nuts, pepitas or sunflower seeds 1/4 cup (35g) dried fruit, blueberries or cranberries 1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh herbs like fresh parsley, cilantro, basil, dill or mint 1/4 cup (60ml) extra-virgin olive oil 1/4 cup (60ml) apple cider vinegar 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard 1/2 teaspoon honey or maple syrup 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more to taste 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper Juice from 2 to 3 lemon wedges, optional Directions Cook Quinoa 1Place quinoa in a fine mesh strainer and rinse thoroughly under cool running water for 30 seconds to a minute. Or, add quinoa to a bowl. Cover with cool water, swirl the quinoa around, then drain. Repeat this rinsing process once more. 2Gently shake the quinoa to remove any extra water after rinsing. 3Add the rinsed quinoa and 2 cups of water to a medium saucepan. 4Place the saucepan over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, so it’s at a gentle simmer, and cook uncovered until the quinoa absorbs all the liquid, 10 to 15. 5Remove the pan from heat, cover, and let it rest for 5 minutes. Then, uncover and fluff the quinoa with a fork. Allow the quinoa to cool slightly before using in your salad. Cook Quinoa 1Place quinoa in a fine mesh strainer and rinse thoroughly under cool running water for 30 seconds to a minute. Or, add quinoa to a bowl. Cover with cool water, swirl the quinoa around, then drain. Repeat this rinsing process once more. 2Gently shake the quinoa to remove any extra water after rinsing. 3Add the rinsed quinoa and 2 cups of water to a medium saucepan. 4Place the saucepan over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, so it’s at a gentle simmer, and cook uncovered until the quinoa absorbs all the liquid, 10 to 15. 5Remove the pan from heat, cover, and let it rest for 5 minutes. Then, uncover and fluff the quinoa with a fork. Allow the quinoa to cool slightly before using in your salad. Make Quinoa Salad 1In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, apple cider vinegar, mustard, honey (or maple syrup), salt, and pepper until well combined. 2Mix the cooled quinoa, chickpeas, cucumber, bell pepper, bok choy, extra veggies, nuts, seeds, dried fruit, and herbs in a large bowl. 3Pour the dressing over the salad and toss until everything is well coated. Taste the salad and add more salt and pepper if needed. For more fresh flavor, squeeze some fresh lemon juice over the top. Make Quinoa Salad 1In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, apple cider vinegar, mustard, honey (or maple syrup), salt, and pepper until well combined. 2Mix the cooled quinoa, chickpeas, cucumber, bell pepper, bok choy, extra veggies, nuts, seeds, dried fruit, and herbs in a large bowl. 3Pour the dressing over the salad and toss until everything is well coated. Taste the salad and add more salt and pepper if needed. For more fresh flavor, squeeze some fresh lemon juice over the top. Adam and Joanne's Tips Storing: This salad lasts in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days. After 3 days, the salad might wilt slightly, but it will still taste great! I do not recommend freezing the salad. As a substitute for the dried fruit, consider adding 1/2 to 1 cup of fresh fruit like blueberries, diced apple or chopped mango. For a vegan friendly quinoa salad, substitute the honey with maple syrup. The nutrition facts provided below are estimates. Storing: This salad lasts in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days. After 3 days, the salad might wilt slightly, but it will still taste great! I do not recommend freezing the salad. As a substitute for the dried fruit, consider adding 1/2 to 1 cup of fresh fruit like blueberries, diced apple or chopped mango. For a vegan friendly quinoa salad, substitute the honey with maple syrup. The nutrition facts provided below are estimates. Nutrition Per Serving Serving Size 1 cup / Calories 282 / Total Fat 14g / Saturated Fat 2g / Cholesterol 0mg / Sodium 274.5mg / Carbohydrate 33g / Dietary Fiber 6.5g / Total Sugars 7.3g / Protein 8.8g AUTHOR: Joanne Gallagher We’re Adam and Joanne, a couple passionate about cooking and sharing delicious, reliable recipes since 2009. Our goal? To inspire you to get in the kitchen and confidently cook fresh and flavorful meals.More About Us