Perfect as is or as a base recipe, this Quinoa Salad Recipe is a simple quinoa salad with a citrus dressing and lots of veggies.
This Quinoa Salad Recipe would be perfect alongside Pan Fried Salmon with Remoulade or Blue Cheese Burgers.
When I first started this blog I have to admit that the thought of cooking with quinoa definitely intimidated me. At the time, it wasn’t largely popular but I kept seeing so many other food bloggers using quinoa in their recipes, so I thought I would give it a try! Since then, not only has it become very popular, but I make it regularly at home, too.
What is Quinoa?
One of the hard parts of being brave enough to cook with quinoa was knowing where to find it! What even is quinoa? To put it simple, it is a type of grain known for its edible seeds. It’s much more popular in health food stores, but can still be found in common grocery stores. I was able to find quinoa near the specialty rice, beans, and other types of grains.
How to Cook Quinoa
There is definitely a skill to be mastered when it comes to cooking quinoa. It is not difficult, you just have to make sure you aren’t trying to take short cuts. Before cooking the quinoa, you will have to rinse the grain and then use a strainer to get rid of any excess water. There are many different methods on how to cook quinoa, but the most simple way is to cook it on the stovetop. You combine 1 part quinoa to 2 parts liquid, and bring them to a boil. Once the mixture is boiling, reduce the heat and cover the pan. Once all of the liquid has been absorbed, you can fluff the quinoa. It is very similar to cooking rice.
I like to use a broth to cook the quinoa, although you could definitely use water. I just like the extra flavor that the broth brings.
Quinoa Salad Recipe
I love this quinoa salad recipe because of how adaptable it is. Don’t have everything listed in the recipe? No worries! All you really need for this quinoa salad are some fresh vegetables, olive oil, and lime juice. Below are some vegetables that you could use, including what I used in mine. It’s a great salad to make when you have lots of fresh veggies that you need to use!
- cherry or grape tomatoes
- red onion
- green onion
- bell pepper
- avocado
- cucumbers
- roasted sweet potatoes
- peas
- corn
More Favorite Quinoa Salad Recipes
Tomato and Black Bean Quinoa Salad
Quinoa and Roasted Sweet Potato Salad
Greek Quinoa Salad
Quinoa Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup quinoa
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Pinch of red pepper flakes
- 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half
- 1/4 cup diced red onion
- 1/4 cup sliced green onions
- 1/4 cup diced red bell pepper
- 1/2 - 1 avocado, pitted, peeled and cubed
- Chopped cilantro
Instructions
- Rinse the quinoa very well.
- Place the quinoa and the vegetable broth in a pot over medium heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the het to medium low and cover the pot. Simmer until the quinoa is tender and the broth is absorbed, about 10-15 minutes. Set aside to cool.
- To make the dressing, whisk together the olive oil, lime juice, cumin, salt and red pepper flakes.
- Combine the quinoa, tomatoes, red onion, green onion, bell pepper and avocado in a large bowl. Pour the dressing over the top and gently stir to combine.
- Serve topped with chopped cilantro, if desired.
Kellie Madison says
Delicious! Definitely will make again
Rose says
Yum! 🙂
kellypea says
Oops…I forgot to say that I tagged you. It’s all Elle’s fault =). Check it out!
kellypea says
OMG. I remember the first time I made quinoa, the exact thing happened with the dishtowel. Hilarious. I love it, too, and enjoy it for breakfast occasionally. It’s a bit like oatmeal to me…
Kelly-Jane says
Looks really lovely, all the pretty colours 🙂
Aimée says
You know what, that looks really really great. Don’t apologize! It’s nice to see an original salad and I love quinoa.
Poonam says
Deb, It looks yummy!
Patricia Scarpin says
I think the photo is really good! And the food too. 🙂
Kevin says
I have never had quinoa but that looks really tasty. I am going to have to look for some quinoa at the grocery store this weekend.
Nirmala says
I love quinoa. It’s so good. Your dish looks yummy.
eatme_delicious says
Looks good! I don’t remember rinsing it before cooking it though. I’ve only cooked quinoa once and keep meaning to get more but haven’t yet. Apparently it’s also a source of calcium! I just found your blog through Technicolor Kitchen, and reading your profile about how you rarely make the same thing twice because there are too many to try definitely echoes with me.