This recent, crunchy quinoa salad has fluffy grains, colourful veggies, and a tangy Dijon French dressing! It’s straightforward to make and nice for meal prep and easy lunches.
Right here’s a salad I may eat daily that’s recent, scrumptious and extremely versatile: my deli-style quinoa salad! There are a great deal of methods to make a salad with this fluffy grain and after experimenting for years, I’ve discovered the one.
This recipe is delightfully refreshing, a jumble of crunchy, colourful veggies, fluffy quinoa grains, and a zingy Dijon mustard French dressing. I carry it to potlucks, pack it for lunches, serve it as a aspect dish at dinner, and toss it into grain bowls. In the event you’ve been trying to find the very best quinoa salad recipe that truly delivers on taste, you’re in the suitable place!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Scrumptious textures and flavors: Fluffy quinoa, crunchy veggies, and a shiny and tangy salad dressing: it’s so tasty!
- Make-ahead pleasant: This quinoa salad holds up effectively over time: it’s among the finest recipes for meal prep.
- Naturally wholesome: It’s full of plant-based protein, dietary fiber, and nutritional vitamins, it’s such a simple option to eat a rainbow of veggies!
5 Star Reader Evaluate
“Scrumptious! I usually make this to take for lunch throughout the week. It’s mild, energizing, and satisfying. So fast to make, too. Thanks for the recipe!” -Jen
Elements You’ll Want
The primary concept for this salad? Prepare dinner the quinoa, chop the veggies, and toss with the dressing! There are only a few issues to notice earlier than diving in. Right here’s what you’ll want for this quinoa salad:
- Dry quinoa: Quinoa is the darling entire grain of the previous decade. It’s truly a seed, so some individuals name it a “psuedograin” because it’s eaten in the identical method as grains are. It’s native to South America and was first eaten 7,000 years in the past by Incas within the Andes.
- English cucumber: English cucumber is a spread with a light taste, skinny pores and skin and small seeds that doesn’t should be peeled. In the event you plan to make use of normal cucumber, be sure to peel it.
- Tuscan kale: I favor the delicate taste of Tuscan kale to spicy curly kale; it’s straightforward to search out on the grocery (usually labeled Lacinato or dinosaur kale).
- Tomatoes and purple bell pepper: These add vitamins and colour to the salad.
- Inexperienced onions and recent parsley: These add a recent, herby taste to the salad.
- Dressing: Dijon mustard, honey, purple wine vinegar and olive oil whisk right into a shiny, emulsified dressing.
- Feta crumbles: A handful of feta crumbles provides salty distinction. Omit for a salad that’s vegan and dairy-free.
Ideas for Making ready Quinoa
Quinoa will be little tough to get proper: even for seasoned cooking professionals! It may well simply come out waterlogged and soggy. I’ve received just a few suggestions for tips on how to prepare dinner quinoa so it’s fluffy and prepared for this quinoa salad:
- Use my optimized water ratio for fluffy grains. Most recipes for quinoa recommend a ratio of 1 cup quinoa to 2 cups water, however can come out soggy. After intensive testing, I’ve developed a brand new quinoa to water ratio: 1 cup quinoa to 1 ¾ cups water. Simmer it up, and it makes for fluffy grains that aren’t waterlogged.
- Cool earlier than utilizing within the salad: right here’s a trick. You possibly can’t use dump the freshly cooked grain proper within the salad: it’s too scorching and moist. As an alternative, place it in a single layer on a baking sheet, then pop it within the freezer for two to three minutes. Then you need to use the room temperature quinoa immediately!
- Or, make the quinoa upfront. In the event you like, you may make the quinoa as much as 1 day upfront and refrigerate till serving: then you’ll be able to skip the cooling step.
Find out how to Make Quinoa Salad
When you prepare dinner the quinoa, chop the veggies and make the dressing for the salad! The full prep time often takes me round 40 minutes, however it’s effectively price it. Listed below are the essential steps (or bounce to the recipe under):
- Prepare dinner the quinoa: This takes about quarter-hour to prepare dinner and 5 minutes to steam within the pot earlier than utilizing. Use this time prep the veggies and dressing. When it’s accomplished, cool it rapidly by spreading onto a baking sheet.
- Prep the veggies. Chop the parsley, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, bell pepper, kale, and inexperienced onions. Toss all the things in a big bowl with kosher salt, pepper, and dried basil, which helps to season them.
- Whisk the salad dressing. In a small bowl, mix the Dijon mustard, honey (or maple syrup), and purple wine vinegar. Slowly drizzle within the olive oil, one tablespoon at a time, whisking always till you get a easy emulsion.
- Toss and serve. Add the quinoa to the massive bowl of greens and feta, if utilizing. Pour the dressing over all the things and stir till evenly coated. Get pleasure from instantly or refrigerate till serving.
What to Serve With It
Some recipes work for just one objective. However our favourite recipes are these which can be extremely versatile: and this one suits the invoice! There are such a lot of other ways to serve it:
- Aspect alongside proteins: It’s an important aspect dish for grilled rooster, baked salmon, sautéed shrimp, baked tofu, or tuna steak.
- Lunch bowls: Spoon it right into a bowl with avocado, a drizzle of tahini dressing, and any additional veggies for a simple grain bowl.
- Meal prep: Pack parts in containers on Sunday and also you’re set for the week. It’s nice for meal prep as a result of the elements don’t wilt like lettuce.
- Picnics and barbecues: Add it to a trio of salads as a picnic meals concept, or as a aspect to enhance grilled corn.
- Mediterranean evening: Add kalamata olives, additional feta, and a squeeze of recent lemon juice to lean right into a Medi vibe. It suits proper into my Mediterranean weight loss program recipes.
Storage & Make-Forward
This quinoa salad is certainly one of my favourite make-ahead salads. You possibly can retailer it in an hermetic container within the fridge for 3 to five days.
Earlier than serving leftovers, give it a style: chances are you’ll wish to add a pinch of salt or a little bit of purple wine vinegar to brighten issues again up. The greens soften barely over time, however the total texture stays nice by means of the week!
Dietary Notes
This quinoa salad recipe is vegetarian, gluten-free, plant-based, dairy-free and vegan (with out the optionally available feta cheese).
Often Requested Questions
There are such a lot of instructions you’ll be able to take a fundamental quinoa salad. A Mediterranean quinoa salad with kalamata olives, feta, and tomatoes is among the hottest. You possibly can go Tex-Mex with black beans, corn, and cilantro with lime juice.
A kale quinoa salad with chickpeas makes a hearty lunch. For one thing lighter, strive arugula with recent lemon, pine nuts, and shaved Parmesan. You could possibly additionally add roasted greens like roasted butternut squash for a fall-inspired model. Try my full checklist of quinoa recipes for extra concepts.
Quinoa is a whole protein, which means it accommodates all 9 important amino acids. It’s additionally wealthy in dietary fiber, folate, and B nutritional vitamins. See Advantages of Quinoa.
Mixed with the greens on this salad, you get an excellent dose of vitamin A and vitamin C. It’s naturally gluten-free, low in saturated fats, and cholesterol-free. The olive oil within the dressing gives heart-healthy monounsaturated fat. See Advantages of Olive Oil.
I don’t advocate freezing this quinoa salad. The cucumber, tomatoes, and bell pepper don’t maintain up effectively after thawing and change into mushy and watery. Nevertheless, you’ll be able to freeze plain cooked quinoa for as much as 2 months and thaw it to rapidly assemble a recent salad everytime you like. Simply retailer it in an hermetic container and thaw within the fridge in a single day.
On a regular basis Quinoa Salad
This recent, crunchy quinoa salad has fluffy grains, colourful veggies, and a tangy Dijon French dressing! It’s straightforward to make and nice for meal prep and easy lunches.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Prepare dinner Time: quarter-hour
- Complete Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 8 1x
- Class: Salad
- Methodology: No Prepare dinner
- Delicacies: Salad
- Eating regimen: Vegan
Elements
- 1 cup dry quinoa
- 1 cup finely chopped curly parsley
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes, quartered
- 1 English cucumber, diced (peeled if utilizing a typical cucumber)
- 1 purple bell pepper, diced
- 1/2 to 1 bunch Tuscan kale* (aka Lacinato or dinosaur kale), chopped into chew sized items
- 3 inexperienced onions
- ¼ cup minced shallot or purple onion, (optionally available)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 2 tablespoons purple wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup
- ¼ cup olive oil
- Contemporary floor black pepper
- ⅓ cup feta crumbles, optionally available
Directions
- Make the quinoa: Rinse the quinoa utilizing a positive mesh strainer, then drain it fully. Place it in a saucepan with 1 ¾ cups water and ¼ teaspoon kosher salt. Convey to a boil, then cut back the warmth to low. Cowl the pot and simmer the place the water is simply effervescent for about 15 to 18 minutes, till the water has been fully absorbed. (Examine by pulling again the quinoa with a fork to see if water stays.) Flip off the warmth and let sit with the lid on to steam for five minutes, then fluff the quinoa with a fork. (This step will be accomplished the day earlier than; refrigerate the quinoa till able to make the salad.)
- Cool the quinoa to room temperature: If making the salad instantly after cooking the quinoa, right here’s a trick: dump the quinoa onto a baking sheet and unfold it in a good layer. Pop it within the freezer for two to three minutes till cooled to room temperature.
- Chop and season the greens: Chop the parsley, tomatoes, cucumber, purple pepper, Tuscan kale, and onions as famous within the ingredient checklist above. Combine them in a big bowl with the remaining ¾ teaspoon kosher salt and the dried basil.
- Make the dressing: In a medium bowl, whisk collectively the honey or maple syrup, vinegar, and Dijon mustard. Slowly whisk within the olive oil 1 tablespoon at a time till totally mixed and an emulsion kinds.
- Combine the salad: Stir collectively the quinoa, greens and dressing. Eat instantly, or marinate half-hour to 24 hours earlier than serving (then style and add extra salt if wanted). Shops 3 to five days refrigerated.
Notes
- Kale: Bunch sizes differ. Use half a bunch if it’s very massive, or alter to your most popular ratio of kale to quinoa.
- Vegan choice: Use maple syrup as an alternative of honey and omit the feta cheese.
- Additional protein: Add a can of drained chickpeas, black beans, or cooked brown lentils for a extra filling meal.
- Herb variations: Swap parsley for cilantro, recent mint, or a mixture of recent herbs.
- Storage: Retains 3 to five days in an hermetic container within the fridge. Style and alter salt earlier than serving leftovers.
