20-minute Vegetable Quinoa Salad made with fresh vegetables, chickpeas, quinoa, and balsamic dressing. Vegan quinoa salad is the perfect weekday lunch, picnic side, or potluck salad all year long.
Why we love this quinoa salad
When you need simple, budget-friendly ingredients to go the distance in one effort, this salad does exactly that. This healthy, 20-minute quinoa salad beats any packaged salad by way of flavor, texture, nutrition, and cost – and doesn't require special tools or knowledge.
Whether you're making quinoa salad for a week of lunches, a potluck, or summer picnic, it fits every occasion and is approved for most restricted diets. It can be made days in advance too, so it's perfect for meal prep!
Just like everyone's favorite Greek chickpea salad and kale chickpea salad, quinoa vegetable salad fits the description of nutrition-packed, heart-healthy, Mediterranean cuisine.
Ingredient notes
This quinoa salad recipe uses simple pantry ingredients and always-available grocery store produce. During summer, you can use vegetables right from your garden or farmers market.
For the salad
- quinoa - Cook quinoa from scratch using stove method or make Instant Pot quinoa.
- chickpeas - Use canned chickpeas for ultra convenience or make Instant Pot chickpeas for a budget-friendly option.
- carrots - Use baby carrots or whole carrots.
- bell pepper - Use red, green, orange, or yellow bell peppers – or a combination.
- cucumber - Any cucumber variety works for this recipe.
- sweet corn - Use fresh or frozen corn (if thawed).
- red cabbage - Green cabbage is just as tasty!
- cherry tomatoes - Or preferred tomato variety can be used.
- red onion - White, yellow, or green onions can be used too.
- parsley - Any fresh herbs like dill, basil, or oregano are delicious in this recipe.
For the dressing
- white balsamic vinegar - Any vinegar can be used for the salad dressing.
- Dijon - Or other mustard variety.
- maple syrup - Or honey, agave syrup, or date syrup.
- extra virgin olive oil - Or avocado oil.
- salt and pepper - Add to taste.
How to make quinoa veggie salad
At any point during this recipe, you can cover and refrigerate any components (quinoa, beans, vegetables, or dressing) until ready to serve.
First, cook quinoa using the stove method (instructions below) or make Instant Pot quinoa the hands-free way. Cool quinoa to room temperature.
Prepare salad ingredients (chop, shred, etc) and place in a bowl. At this point, you can add this recipe to your Buddha bowl collection because it certainly resembles one.
Make the dressing by combining vinegar, maple syrup, and Dijon. Whisk in olive oil until the dressing becomes creamy. Season with SALT and PEPPER.
Pour dressing over salad and toss to combine.
Serve and devour!
Quinoa salad tips and variations
Cooled quinoa is key for this salad. If cooking the same day, make sure it cools completely if before adding it to the other ingredients.
Use any combination of vegetables. There are no rules, so add your favorites! You can even use roasted vegetables in place of fresh veggies.
Try serving vegan quinoa salad over leafy greens such as arugula, spring mix, red leaf lettuce, romaine, or kale for added nutrition.
Quinoa salad stays optimal for 5 days, even once it's dressed – as long as it stays refrigerated in an airtight container. Note: adding salad greens will shorten the storage span, so I recommend only doing so when serving.
To meal prep this recipe, prepare the salad components but don't add dressing yet. Instead, portion the salad and dressing separately into containers and refrigerate. To serve, add dressing, toss to combine, and devour!
I recommend serving quinoa salad cold or at least slightly chilled to enjoy the benefit of the fresh, raw vegetables. If using roasted vegetables, you can enjoy it warm.
Quinoa is often considered a smarter choice than rice because it has more protein, fewer carbohydrates, and fewer calories.
Cooked quinoa will easily last five days when refrigerated in an airtight container, which is what makes this salad so convenient for meal prep.
Quinoa by itself can be frozen, but I do not recommend freezing quinoa salad because the fresh ingredients, once thawed, will become watery and mushy.
Try these other quinoa recipes
- Asian Slaw with Quinoa
- Zucchini Quinoa Fritters
- Veggie Quinoa Banh Mi Bowl
- Zucchini Noodle Quinoa Bowl
- Black Bean and Sweet Potato Quinoa Chili
Vegetable Quinoa Salad
INGREDIENTS
- ½ cup Dried Quinoa, or 2 cups cooked quinoa
- ⅛ teaspoon Sea Salt
- 1 ½ cups Cooked Chickpeas, or 1 (15 ounce can) drained
- 1 medium Carrot, shredded (1 cup)
- 1 Red Bell Pepper, diced (1 cup)
- ½ large Cucumber, diced (1 cup)
- 1 cup Sweet Corn, fresh or frozen
- 1 cup Red Cabbage, shredded
- 1 cup Cherry Tomatoes, chopped
- ½ small Red Onion, diced (½ cup)
- ½ cup Fresh Parsley, chopped
Dressing ingredients
- 2 tablespoons White Balsamic Vinegar, or other vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Dijon
- 1 teaspoon Maple Syrup, or other liquid sweetener
- 2 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Sea Salt, to taste
- Black Pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Cook QUINOA according to package instructions along with SALT.
- Allow to cool completely, cover, and refrigerate until ready to use.
- In a large bowl, combine COOKED QUINOA, CHICKPEAS, CARROTS, BELL PEPPER, CUCUMBER, CORN, CABBAGE, TOMATOES, ONION, and PARSLEY. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
- Make the dressing In a separate mixing bowl by whisking together VINEGAR, DIJON, and MAPLE SYRUP.
- Slowly drizzle in OLIVE OIL and whisk until creamy. Add SALT and PEPPER to taste. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
- To serve, add dressing to salad and toss to combine.
- Refrigerate in an airtight container up to 5 days.
RECIPE VIDEO
Equipment
- 2 quart sauce pan to cook quinoa
- mini storage containers for dressing
NUTRITION
Nutrition data provided as courtesy estimates using unbranded ingredients from a nutrition database. Please consult preferred resource for precise data.
Joanne says
I made this for my sister and I to share. I made changes according to what I like, so I left out the chickpeas, and the red cabbage. I cooked the quinoa according to my InstaPot cookbook, it came out very well. I then mixed the vegetables into the quinoa and added the dressing. This is an excellent hot weather meal, I'm in Massachusetts and we've been having a lot of hot/humid weather and this is a welcome dish...easy to do, doesn't heat up the kitchen, colorful and delicious! I encourage you to give it a try.
The Kitchen Girl says
Yay! I'm so glad you gave it a try and sounds like you love it as much as we do 🙂 Thanks for sharing your experience, it's much appreciated!
Robin says
Wow! This is an amazing salad! It hits all the right buttons: crunchy, fresh, varied and with the lightest dressing imaginable. Thanks for a great meal! This is going to become a summer staple!
The Kitchen Girl says
Yay! Glad you enjoyed and such a compliment! It's definitely a staple for us too. Thanks so much for the feedback 🙂
JB says
Ok I'll admit, I've never really been a quinoa kind of person, but this quinoa salad is absolutely delicious, especially with the crunchy summer vegetables. The dressing is perfect too! Great recipe, great salad!
The Kitchen Girl says
Yayy! I'm so glad you love it as much as I do 🙂 Thank you!!
Louise says
So colourful and flavourful too! Perfect for picnic weather!
The Kitchen Girl says
Thanks!! I'm so glad you're enjoying it. Yes, love quinoa salad for picnics 🙂
Katherine says
What a stunning rainbow of salad! So pretty and tasty.
The Kitchen Girl says
Thank you 🙂 So glad you're enjoying it!
Amanda says
What a gorgeous salad - full of flavours, crunch and colour. Love the maple syrup in the dressing too.
The Kitchen Girl says
Thank youu! So glad you're enjoying it 🙂 This is def one of my favorite salads.
Tara says
Such a beautiful and vibrant salad! The flavors sound amazing and I love how it comes together in 20 minutes.
The Kitchen Girl says
Thank you! So glad you're enjoying it 🙂
Seema says
This is the most colourful salad I have made in a long while. Love how it prompts me to eat.
The Kitchen Girl says
Omgosh I feel the exact same way when I open my fridge and there it is 🙂 It just begs to be eaten LOL. So glad you enjoyed!
Dannii says
Quinoa is a great way to bulk out a salad in a healthy way. Loving all the colours going on here.
Traci Antonovich says
Thanks Dannii...I'm such a fan of quinoa! 🙂
Cindy Gordon says
First it was words "meal prep" that caught my eye, then quinoa! This is a winning recipe for me! YUM
Traci Antonovich says
Thanks Cindy! I feel the same way about it 🙂
Lisa Bryan says
I love to meal prep salads for the week - so much easier! Will have to give this recipe a try as it sounds delicious!
Traci Antonovich says
Thanks Lisa...hope you love it like I do!
Lindsay says
This looks so fresh and yummy Traci! Pinned!
Traci Antonovich says
Thanks so much Lindsay...it's one of my fav salads, for sure!
Lauren says
I love this recipe! I have a small addiction to quinoa and am always looking for new ways to use it! This salad is a great way!
Traci Antonovich says
Thanks Lauren...I'm right there with you on that addiction LOL.
Sandy says
Such a great idea for a healthy meal and I love your tips for keeping the salad fresh for a few days.
Traci Antonovich says
Thanks Sandy...glad you enjoyed the post 🙂
Jenni says
This looks fabulous. I love all of the bright color and crunch! This would make a great packable lunch for me to take to work!
Traci Antonovich says
Thanks Jenni...that's exactly what I had in mind for this salad 🙂
Jessica Robinson says
Loving the colors and flavors with this salad. Also love that you added a little crunch with pumpkin seeds! Definitely will be trying this yummy salad for summer gatherings!
Traci Antonovich says
Thanks so much Jessica! Yep, I add pumpkin seeds to so many things...love those things 🙂
Allison - Celebrating Sweets says
I love having healthy meals prepped and ready. This chopped salad looks fabulous! Thanks for sharing!
Traci Antonovich says
Thanks so much Allison!...Hope you can give it a go sometime 🙂
Tina says
I should do more lunch meal prep, this is inspiring. It's so easy, just takes some planning. Lovely salad!
Traci Antonovich says
Thank you 🙂 Yep, this is one of my easier meal prep days when I make this! Hope to inspire you to do it.
Sandi says
This is a fabulous salad recipe. I would even love this for a light lunch!
Traci Antonovich says
Thanks Sandi! Yep, that's exactly what I make it for...meal prep lunches. Love having these done on a Sunday to start the week!
rikA says
Looks so healthy and delicious! I love quinoa but don't really make it often at home.
Traci Antonovich says
Thank you! I don't make quinoa often enough...so many things to make, so little time 🙂
Luci says
I love a good quinoa veggie salad and this looks like it wouldn't disappoint! Yummy!
Traci Antonovich says
Thanks! Yeah, it does not disappoint at all. In fact, I miss it when I haven't made it in a while 🙂
Elaine says
Mmmm. That quinoa salad looks so delicious! I love how loaded it is. Loaded with flavor and delicious ingredients. I don't meal prep for myself but I do make hubby's lunch on the weekend so he has what he likes during the week!!
Traci Antonovich says
Thank you! Yeah I make this on the weekend for our weekly lunches...it's part of the rotation anyway.