Picnic foods are great during the summer, but you can only eat so much potato salad. This chilled quinoa salad checks all the healthy boxes, and is delicious to boot. Serve it at the next barbecue with easy roasted corn, family picnic, or just a regular week night dinner.
I’m not a big fan of mayo heavy salads. I used to love loading my plate up with a variety of these, but now I prefer something lighter. (Not that I have anything against a good homemade mayo!) It’s nice to have something that’s lighter on the stomach, but still filling for hot days. This quinoa salad is good cold, but I also like it warm and we eat it year round.
A Grain Free Superfood
Quinoa is often mistaken for a grain, but it’s actually a seed. Quinoa is more closely related to beets and spinach than wheat and corn. It’s safe for those with gluten sensitivities and many people on grain free diets can safely consume quinoa. This seed is versatile, nutritious and can be used in many different recipes, in place of rice or pasta. I’ll sometimes add it to my hearty sausage kale soup.
Quinoa Salad Ingredients
Quinoa salad is so versatile, you could argue that you don’t even need a recipe. I rarely use recipes anymore, and when I do I always have to change it. That aside, we’ve come to love this salad so much that I decided the recipe needed to be shared. There are plenty of different ways to mix it up and still have a tasty, healthy side dish.
I use whatever ingredients I have on hand. It’s also a great way to use up leftovers. I can’t be the only one that ends up with half a can of beans, part of a bell pepper, or a few random cherry tomatoes in the fridge! Here are just a few options.
- Black beans
- Chickpeas
- Sundried tomatoes
- Avocado
- Black olives
- Kale
- Spinach
- Grilled corn
- cucumber
Making Quinoa Salad Taste Even Better
I usually double the recipe so I have leftovers for the next day or later in the week. Quinoa salad is one of those things that tastes even better the longer its been in the fridge. The dressing has more time to soak into the quinoa and all the flavors meld together for a more intense flavor. If you don’t eat it all right away, it should last about a week in the fridge. We always polish it off way before then though!
The Secret to Non-Bitter Quinoa
The first time I tried quinoa, it tasted bitter and gross. Since then I’ve discovered that it needs rinsed first. I love taking shortcuts when cooking, but this is one step I never skip!
Chilled Quinoa Salad
Ingredients
- ¾ cup quinoa
- 1 and ½ cup water
- ¼ tsp sea salt
- ½ tsp Italian seasoning OR 2 Tbsp fresh basil, chopped
- ¾ cup bell pepper
- ½ cup cherry tomatoes, quartered
- 1-2 Tbsp chives, chopped
- 2 Tbsp feta or goat cheese
For the dressing
- 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 Tbsp olive or avocado oil
- 4 drops liquid stevia OR 1 Tbsp raw honey
Instructions
- Rinse the quinoa thoroughly in a fine mesh sieve before using, or it will be bitter.
- Bring the water and quinoa to a boil, then turn the heat off, leave the lid on, and let it cook for about 15 minutes. Once it’s cooked thoroughly, but not mushy, fluff it with a fork and set the pot aside.
- Sprinkle all of the ingredients over the salad, pour the dressing over, and give it a good stir.
- Put the salad in the fridge to cool, and serve chilled.
- This tastes better after sitting in the fridge for at least a few hours. If you can’t wait that long though, then it tastes delicious eaten immediately too
Make it a Meal
I’ll add shredded beef or chicken breast, or even a salmon patty to this for a simple way to turn this into an easy lunch. I usually double the recipe so we can add meat and eat it for lunch the next day. This meal also works really well in a storage container for taking on the go.
Looks delicious! I need to learn to do more with quinoa, such a great ingredient! Thanks for the suggestion 🙂