Easy Quinoa Salad Recipe

This easy quinoa salad recipe is one of my favorites. You can make it in under half an hour and it’s perfect for meal prep. Prepare it, place it in containers or mason jars, and serve all week long.

This recipe is easy to alter according to your preferences and what you have on hand. Feel free to leave out some of the ingredients and add others as you wish. Ideas for variations are listed below.

Try adding this Caprese garlic bean salad to the quinoa salad for another tasty dish!

Easy Quinoa Salad Recipe

When you begin to compose your salad, it’s important to consider not just the taste, but the appearance as well. The quinoa has a bit of a nutty flavor that needs some brightness (like from the vegetables or citrus) for balance. Since it is a fairly neutral color, I like to include vegetables or fruits that are colorful to perk it up a bit.

Ingredients

1 cup quinoa, prepared according to the package directions

½ cup edamame (shelled)

Half a small onion chopped finely – I like to use red onion to add color or a sweet Vidalia because I love the flavor; some shallots or little Cipollini onions are really good with this too

1 medium bell pepper – I like to use a combination of a few different colors

1/4 cup cooked peas

1/4 cup sweet corn

For the dressing:

3 tbsp vinegar – you can use any kind you like but my favorites are white wine vinegar, pear vinegar when I want a slightly subtler taste, or balsamic and fig vinegar when I want a more robust taste

2 tbsp olive oil – grapeseed, apple cider, avocado, or walnut oil are all good options

1 tsp Dijon mustard

Some herbs can be a nice addition to this recipe – mint, basil, parsley, oregano, thyme, rosemary, tarragon, and chives are all good options. You can use dried or fresh but fresh basil is especially delightful.

Some lemon zest can be really delicious in this and adds a lovely light flavor.

Salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste

Instructions: 

Combine the quinoa, edamame, onion, bell pepper, peas, corn, or any other fruits or vegetables you want to add to this. 

In a separate bowl, whisk together the oil, vinegar, mustard, and seasonings (dried) to make the dressing. 

Pour the dressing over the quinoa mixture and add in any fresh herbs if desired.  Toss until combined. 

1. Combine the quinoa, edamame, onion, bell pepper, peas, corn, and any other fruits or vegetables you want to add to this.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk together the oil, vinegar, and mustard to make the dressing.
3. Pour the dressing over the quinoa mixture and add in your herbs and spices.  Toss until combined.

Variations

Other fruit or vegetable alternatives (use up some leftovers!):

• Chopped apple or pear
• Raisins or dried cranberries or blueberries
• Chopped or grated carrots
• Chopped cucumber
• Chopped zucchini
• Cherry or grape tomatoes
• Thinly sliced radishes
• Chopped broccoli
• Chopped celery
• Walnuts, pecans, or slivered almonds
• Feta or goat cheese
• Bocconcini
• Black olives
• Leftover cooked chicken
• Tuna
• Leftover cooked sausages cut into chunks
• Thinly sliced pieces of leftover steak

For the dressing:

• Add honey or maple syrup
• For a more robust flavor, use some Worcestershire sauce
• Mix in some fig and caramelized onion compote – again this makes for a quite robust flavor