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Home » Recipes » Salads

Published: Jun 24, 2022 · Updated: May 31, 2022 by The Kitchen Girl

Vegetable Quinoa Salad

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
4.4K shares
5 from 26 votes
Jump To Recipe

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.

vegetable quinoa salad in white bowl
Table of Contents hide
1) Why we love this quinoa salad
2) Ingredient notes
3) How to make quinoa veggie salad
4) Quinoa salad tips and variations
5) Try these other quinoa recipes
6) Vegetable Quinoa Salad

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.
vegetable quinoa salad ingredients measured into bowls and ready to use

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.

water is being added to uncooked quinoa in the Instant Pot
cooked quinoa in ceramic serving bowl with serving spoon

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.

vegetable quinoa salad ingredients in white bowl next to salad dressing jar and cup of chopped parsley

Make the dressing by combining vinegar, maple syrup, and Dijon. Whisk in olive oil until the dressing becomes creamy. Season with SALT and PEPPER.

quinoa salad dressing ingredients are whisked in glass bowl
quinoa salad dressing ingredients are whisked in glass bowl

Pour dressing over salad and toss to combine.

salad dressing is poured over vegetable quinoa salad
vegetable quinoa salad in white bowl with serving utensils

Serve and devour!

vegetable quinoa salad in white bowl with serving utensils

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!

vegetable quinoa salad in glass storage container with small container of salad dressing nestled on top
Is quinoa salad served hot or cold?

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.

Is quinoa healthier than rice?

Quinoa is often considered a smarter choice than rice because it has more protein, fewer carbohydrates, and fewer calories.

How long does quinoa last in the fridge?

Cooked quinoa will easily last five days when refrigerated in an airtight container, which is what makes this salad so convenient for meal prep.

Can you freeze quinoa salad?

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 in white bowl

Vegetable Quinoa Salad

Mouthwatering quinoa salad made with fresh vegetables, chickpeas, quinoa, and balsamic dressing. It's perfect for a weekday lunch or potluck all year long.
5 from 26 votes
Print Pin
Prep: 20 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Yield: 8 cups
Author: Traci The Kitchen Girl

Equipment

  • 2 quart sauce pan to cook quinoa
  • chef's knife
  • cutting board
  • wire whisk
  • measuring cups
  • mixing bowl
  • airtight storage containers
  • mini storage containers for dressing

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

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

NUTRITION

Serving: 1cup | Calories: 252kcal | Carbohydrates: 40g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Sodium: 64mg | Potassium: 614mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 2361IU | Vitamin C: 39mg | Calcium: 67mg | Iron: 4mg

Nutrition data provided as courtesy estimates using unbranded ingredients from a nutrition database. Please consult preferred resource for precise data.

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The Kitchen Girl

About The Kitchen Girl

Hi! I'm Traci and I'm sharing my easy recipes with everyday ingredients, straightforward instructions, and ALL the flavor. We have food for every occasion. Start with my easy dinner recipes and eat happy tonight!

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Comments

  1. Joanne says

    August 01, 2022 at 11:07 am

    5 stars
    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.

    Reply
    • The Kitchen Girl says

      August 01, 2022 at 11:08 am

      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!

  2. Robin says

    July 09, 2022 at 4:55 pm

    5 stars
    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!

    Reply
    • The Kitchen Girl says

      July 11, 2022 at 7:55 am

      Yay! Glad you enjoyed and such a compliment! It's definitely a staple for us too. Thanks so much for the feedback 🙂

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