Vegetable Quinoa Salad

Vegetable Quinoa Salad is a chilled quinoa salad loaded with fresh garden vegetables tossed in a tangy, white balsamic vinaigrette. The quinoa packs the protein while the fresh vegetables bring texture to this easy vegan salad. It makes a great party recipe or meal prep salad for the busy week, just like my crazy popular Asian Slaw Quinoa Salad!

Vegetable Quinoa Salad

How do produce hoarders make the most of farmer’s market hauls and grocery store trips that get...outta hand? They make GIANT salads that last all week, just like this quinoa salad. And by they, I mean me...and possibly you? Wink, wink.

This quinoa 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 busy 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!

This salad is perfect to meal prep, but you won't want to dress it until you're ready to eat it.

How to make quinoa salad with fresh vegetables

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 quinoa salad fresh

Tip #1. Ingredients

Start with super 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. Storage and refrigeration

Store salad components separate until you’re ready to serve the salad. So, for this quinoa salad recipe, store the arugula, quinoa, chopped vegetables, and vinaigrette in separate containers (or in separate piles in one container).

Tip #3. Serving

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.

Vegetable Quinoa 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 guessing "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!

Vegetable Quinoa 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
• extra virgin olive oil

What ingredients can I add to quinoa salad?

This quinoa salad recipe is more specific to summer, so any garden vegetables you would enjoy raw are perfect for this salad.

How long does quinoa last in the fridge?

Quinoa can last in the fridge about 5 days if store in airtight containers. However, once it has been tossed with any kind of dressing or sauce, it breaks down more quickly and can lack an appealing texture after a few days in the same storage environment.

Recommended tools

• 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 and salad dressing containers

More vegan salad recipes

The Vegan Veggie Sandwich Even Meat Eaters Love

Veggie Quinoa Banh Mi Bowl

Asian Quinoa Slaw Salad with Sesame Ginger Vinaigrette

Lemony Kale Chickpea Avocado Salad

Vegetable Quinoa Salad

Vegetable Quinoa Salad is a chilled quinoa salad loaded with fresh garden vegetables tossed in a tangy, white balsamic vinaigrette. The quinoa packs the protein while the fresh vegetables bring texture to this easy vegan salad. It makes a great party recipe or meal prep salad for the busy week!

5 from 11 votes

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Prep Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

Yield: 8 1-cup servings

Author: Traci - TheKitchenGirl.com

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
• 1/4 cup Raw Pepitas (pumpkin seeds)

For the white balsamic vinaigrette

• 1/4 cup White Balsamic Vinegar
• 1 tbsp Lemon Juice optional
• 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

US Customary - Metric

Recipe Instructions

For the quinoa

• Cook quinoa according to package instructions.
• Allow to cool completely, cover, and refrigerate until ready to use.

For the quinoa 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.

Tried this recipe? I'd love your review!Visit the comments below and tell me how it went.

RECIPE NOTES

Yield: 8 cups

Serving size: 1 cup

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

Serving: 1cup | Calories: 211kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 125mg | Potassium: 326mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 1873IU | Vitamin C: 21mg | Calcium: 30mg | Iron: 2mg

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The Kitchen Girl

Recipe author and food photographer at The Kitchen Girl

I'm on a mission to help you eat healthy AND save money through simple, everyday recipes, product reviews, and budget-friendly kitchen tips.

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