Quinoa Salad: The Deliciously Versatile Recipe You Need

I know quinoa salad has a reputation for being “bird food.” I get it, some people wouldn’t willingly choose quinoa. But trust me, quinoa salad is one of the most versatile and far-from-boring salads out there, offering endless possibilities for customization.

Whenever I cook quinoa, I always make a large batch. This way, I have cooked quinoa ready in the fridge, and all I need to do is chop some vegetables for a beautiful and satisfying salad.

Lately, I’ve made this healthy quinoa salad at least once a week, and each time, I’ve prepared it differently. It’s incredibly versatile and can be made with almost anything you have on hand in your refrigerator. You can keep it simple with just quinoa and vegetables, or make a more elaborate version with pre-roasted vegetables. Come see how wonderful this salad can be!

How to Cook Quinoa Perfectly

First things first – I cook quinoa just like rice.

Heat a little oil in a heavy-bottomed pot and toast the quinoa, stirring constantly for about 2-3 minutes, until you hear a slight popping sound, the quinoa grains start to puff up and crackle, and a nutty aroma rises.

At this point, you can add a pinch of salt and boiling water in a ratio of 2 cups of water to 1 cup of quinoa.

The pot will boil and bubble, so be careful not to get splashed.

Reduce the heat to the lowest setting, cover the pot, and let the quinoa cook for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, turn off the heat and leave the pot covered for another 10 minutes.

When making quinoa salad, cook a double batch of quinoa in advance. It will keep well in the refrigerator for several days and be readily available. I use quinoa as a substitute for pasta in many dishes, and instead of eating Bolognese with pasta or Pad See Ew with rice, I enjoy them with quinoa instead.

Before assembling the salad, the cooked quinoa should come to room temperature.

Vegetables for Your Quinoa Salad: Endless Options

When it comes to vegetables, the possibilities are endless, depending on what’s in season, in your fridge, or at home.

I try to maintain a similar ratio of total vegetables to quinoa, but feel free to play around with the proportions.

Vegetables for the Enthusiastic Cook:

• Roasted Carrots: I often roast vegetables for the whole week, and carrots are one of the easiest. I simply peel the carrots, slice them diagonally into rounds (to increase their surface area), season them with a herb mixture, olive oil, and salt, and roast them in a preheated oven at 200°C (390°F). I roast the carrots until they are tender but still slightly crisp. Afterwards, I dice the carrots and add them to the salad.
• Roasted Cauliflower: When I have beautiful cauliflower, I also love to roast it. I prepare seasoned roasted cauliflower and then cut it into small florets.
• Roasted Sweet Potato: Cut sweet potato into small cubes, toss with a little salt, thyme, and olive oil, and roast in the oven until softened.

Other Fresh Vegetables:

• Cucumbers: Only if they are fresh and crisp. If you can get your hands on Baladi cucumbers, even better. If not, just make sure they have a real cucumber flavor and aroma, not like styrofoam. Cut the cucumbers into medium dice.
• Tomatoes: I prefer flavorful and aromatic cherry tomatoes, the oblong kind. Simply cut them into quarters.
• Radishes: Cut into small cubes.
• Broccoli: Finely chop. If you have a mandoline, you can use the slicing blade.
• Olives: Roughly chopped Kalamata olives.
• Onion: Red onion, diced.
• Arugula (Rocket): Roughly chopped.
• Tarragon: I know it’s not always easy to find, but it adds a wonderful aroma to the salad.

What to Serve with Quinoa Salad:

To turn this salad into a complete meal, you can add tofu or chicken.

• Crispy Tofu: I like to cut tofu into cubes and pan-fry them in olive oil for a few minutes until they get a crispy coating. You can season the tofu with any spices you like.
• Chicken Breast Strips: Another option is to pan-fry chicken breast strips with your favorite seasonings. I really like to season the chicken with a homemade Cajun spice blend. Simply fry the chicken with the spices and serve it over the salad with a drizzle of raw tahini.

Tahini Dressing:

There are two options – simply drizzle a little raw tahini over the salad, or prepare a tahini dressing that is thinner than usual.

Keep the Quinoa Salad Dressing Simple:

The simplest dressing is the best: lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper. That’s it. Nothing more is needed.

Quinoa Salad

Tired of boring salads? This vibrant quinoa salad recipe is incredibly versatile and bursting with fresh flavors! Use whatever veggies you have on hand for a healthy and satisfying meal.

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Servings: 4 people

Course: Main Course, Salad

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x?

For the Quinoa

• 1 cup Quinoa
• 2 cups Boiling water
• 1 tspn Salt
• 2 tbsp Olive Oil

For the Dressing

• 3 tbsp Olive Oil
• 3 tbsp Lemon juice
• ½ tspn Salt
• ½ tspn Ground Black Paper

For the Vegetables

• 2 cucumbers washed and dried
• 10 cherry tomatoes
• 4 radishes
• ½ red onion
• 10 Kalamata olives
• ½ cup roasted carrots diced
• ½ cup roasted cauliflower separated into bite-sized pieces
• ¼ cup chopped tarragon Optional
• 1 cup roughly chopped arugula rocket

For the Tofu (if serving with Tofu)

• 1 block of tofu
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Pinch of salt

For Chicken Breast Strips (if serving with chicken)

• 300 grams chicken breast cut into strips
• 1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning or other seasoning for chicken
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Pinch of salt

Method

 

To Cook the Quinoa:

1. Heat a heavy-bottomed pot with the olive oil and toast the quinoa for 2-3 minutes until it starts to release a nutty aroma and begins to crackle slightly.
2. Carefully add the boiling water and salt, cover the pot, and cook for 20 minutes over the lowest heat.
3. Let the pot stand covered for at least 10 minutes.
4. Allow the quinoa to cool.

For the Vegetables:

1. Dice the cucumbers and radishes. Halve or quarter the cherry tomatoes. Dice the red onion. Roughly chop the Kalamata olives.
2. In a large bowl, combine the cooled quinoa, diced cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, diced radishes, diced red onion, chopped Kalamata olives, diced roasted carrots, roasted cauliflower florets, chopped tarragon, and chopped arugula.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon or lime juice, salt, and pepper for the dressing.
4. Pour the dressing over the salad, toss to combine, and adjust seasoning as needed.

For Tofu (if serving with tofu):

1. Cut the tofu into cubes approximately 1 cm in size.
2. Heat the olive oil in a skillet and pan-fry the tofu for several minutes until it develops a crispy coating. You can add any spices you like.

For Chicken Breast Strips (if serving with chicken):

1. Heat the olive oil in a skillet.
2. Toss the chicken strips with the Cajun seasoning or other chicken seasoning and pan-fry until well-seared and cooked through on all sides.

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