Veggie Quinoa Chopped Salad is a clean eating salad with quinoa and loads of everyday vegetables in a simple white balsamic vinaigrette. You can substitute vegetables to your liking! Meal prep this chopped salad recipe for the healthiest, weekday lunch.
Veggie Quinoa Chopped Salad
How do produce hoarders make the most of farmer’s market hauls and grocery store trips that get out of hand?
They make GIANT salads that last all week, just like this chopped salad. And by they, I mean me…and possibly you? Wink, wink.
This chopped salad recipe calls for TONS of everyday, raw vegetables that are available anytime, but are especially delish during summer months!
A salad like this is simple, nutritious, and super budget-friendly, for both money and time.
The meal prep salad movement
Do you meal prep your lunches for the work week?
We do it on the regular and it always makes our busy week go smoother.
One GIANT salad for lunch 3-4 days of the week is nutritious, affordable, and makes you feel great!
How to meal prep chopped salad
Step 1: Cook the quinoa and refrigerate it until ready to use.
Step 2: Wash and chop all the produce and assemble individual salads into meal prep containers.
Step 3: Make the vinaigrette, portion it into dressing containers, and pack one container into each salad.
I use these 8oz canning jars or these bpa-free plastic containers for the salad dressing.
Step 4: When you’re ready to eat your salad, dress it…and devour!
How to keep salad fresh (especially for meal prep)
Tip #1. Start with really really fresh lettuce. Don’t meal prep a bunch of salads using lettuce you bought 3 days ago. This might seem like a no-brainer, but trust me, the produce freshness clock ticks faster than you might think, especially with lettuce.
Leafy greens include things like arugula, spring mix, red or green leaf lettuce, romaine lettuce, and kale, to name a few common greens.
Most greens, once dressed, need to be eaten immediately before they wilt, which makes them look and taste unpleasant.
Tip #2. Store salad components separate until you’re ready to serve the salad. So, for this chopped salad recipe, store the arugula, quinoa, chopped vegetables, and vinaigrette in separate containers (or in separate piles in one container).
Tip #3. Don’t dress the salad until it’s time to eat. This is the rule for most salads, most of the time.
So, when you’re ready to serve, simply toss everything together, dress it, and dish it up.
What I love about this chopped salad recipe
- uses everyday, raw vegetables packed with fiber and nutrients
- perfect summer salad to take to parties
- puts protein-packed quinoa to really good use
- naturally vegan and gluten-free
- save money by not buying pre-packaged salad entrees
- no thinking about what’s for lunch this week
My friend Dave, known for making big, fat, killer salads for every party, made a garden quinoa vegetable salad for a July 4th party this summer.
It was such a hit and I could NOT stop eating it, so naturally, I created one for the blog.
Thanks for the inspiration, Dave!
Veggie Quinoa Chopped Salad Ingredients
For the salad:
- cooked quinoa
- carrot
- bell pepper
- cucumber
- arugula
- cherry tomatoes
- corn (fresh or frozen)
- pumpkin seeds (or any nuts)
For the white balsamic vinaigrette:
- white balsamic vinegar
- lemon juice
- fresh garlic
- maple syrup (or liquid sweetener of choice)
- salt and pepper
Kitchen tools I use for this recipe:
- chef knife
- cutting board
- salad spinner (to wash leafy produce)
- microplane fine grater (to grate garlic)
- whisk or fork
- measuring cups
- large bowl
- salad containers
- salad dressing containers
More healthy salad recipes
Asian Quinoa Slaw Salad with Sesame Ginger Vinaigrette
Lemony Kale Chickpea Avocado Salad
Veggie Quinoa Chopped Salad
Ingredients
For the quinoa
- 2 cups Water
- 1 cup dry Quinoa
- 1/4 tsp Kosher Salt
For the chopped salad
- 1 medium Carrot chopped
- 1/2 large Bell Pepper chopped
- 1 medium Cucumber chopped
- 2 cups Arugula
- 1 cup Cherry Tomatoes halved
- 1 cup Corn
- 1/2 cup Pumpkin Seeds
For the white balsamic vinaigrette
- 1/4 cup White Balsamic Vinegar
- 1 clove Garlic finely grated
- 1 tsp Maple Syrup or liquid sweetener of choice
- 1/8 tsp Kosher Salt
- 1/8 tsp Black Pepper
- 1/3 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Instructions
For the quinoa
- Cook quinoa according to package instructions.
- Allow to cool completely, cover, and refrigerate until ready to use.
For the chopped salad
- In a large salad bowl, combine QUINOA, CARROTS, BELL PEPPERS, CUCUMBER, ARUGULA, TOMATOES, CORN, and PUMPKIN SEEDS; toss to combine; refrigerate until ready to serve.
For the white balsamic vinaigrette
- In a mixing bowl or glass, whisk together VINEGAR, LEMON JUICE, GARLIC, MAPLE SYRUP, SALT, and PEPPER.
- Slowly drizzle in EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL, continuously whisking to emulsify into creamy dressing; refrigerate until ready to serve.
**Storage Tip: Keep components separate (quinoa, leafy greens, vegetables, dressing) until ready to serve.
RECIPE NOTES
Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy, and are estimates based on unbranded ingredients acquired from a nutrition database. For accurate calculations, please refer to brand packaging information and consult your nutritionist.
Nutrition
Traci Antonovich
Latest posts by Traci Antonovich (see all)
- Thai Peanut Zucchini Noodles [Zoodles Recipe] - 07/15/2019
- Teriyaki Chicken Lettuce Wraps - 07/12/2019
- Vegan Thai Coconut Vegetable Curry - 07/07/2019
Dannii says
08/22/2018 at 6:48 amTraci Antonovich says
08/22/2018 at 8:15 amCindy Gordon says
08/20/2018 at 8:33 amTraci Antonovich says
08/20/2018 at 8:19 pmLisa Bryan says
08/20/2018 at 7:54 amTraci Antonovich says
08/20/2018 at 8:18 pmLindsay @ The Live-In Kitchen says
08/20/2018 at 7:53 amTraci Antonovich says
08/20/2018 at 8:18 pmLauren Vavala @ DeliciousLittleBites says
08/20/2018 at 7:38 amTraci Antonovich says
08/20/2018 at 8:17 pmSandy @ Ginger and Scotch says
03/18/2018 at 10:47 amTraci Antonovich says
03/18/2018 at 10:00 pmJenni LeBaron says
03/18/2018 at 10:25 amTraci Antonovich says
03/18/2018 at 9:59 pmJessica Robinson says
03/18/2018 at 9:15 amTraci Antonovich says
03/18/2018 at 9:58 pmAllison - Celebrating Sweets says
03/18/2018 at 8:56 amTraci Antonovich says
03/18/2018 at 9:56 pmTina says
11/10/2017 at 12:48 pmTraci Antonovich says
11/10/2017 at 1:32 pmSandi says
11/10/2017 at 9:12 amTraci Antonovich says
11/10/2017 at 1:31 pmrikA says
11/10/2017 at 8:53 amTraci Antonovich says
11/10/2017 at 1:30 pmLuci's Morsels says
11/10/2017 at 8:44 amTraci Antonovich says
11/10/2017 at 1:30 pmElaine @ Dishes Delish says
11/10/2017 at 8:12 amTraci Antonovich says
11/10/2017 at 1:29 pm