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By Taylor Stinson | 38 Comments | Posted: | Updated:
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These 5 Quick & Easy Quinoa Salad Recipes are perfect for meal prep! They're a great make-ahead vegetarian lunch option.
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Ingredients and substitutions
- Quinoa – use white, black or red quinoa.
- Water – you could also try cooking the quinoa in chicken or vegetable broth for added flavour.
- Salt – to taste.
- Toppings – try out different variations and add-ins like veggies, protein, cheese and seasonings.
How to make quinoa salad
Step 1: Add quinoa and water to a pot.
Step 2: Cook the quinoa.
Bring the quinoa to a boil and simmer, stirring occasionally.
Step 3: Stir the cooked quinoa.
Remove from the heat and give it a good stir.
Step 4: Let it cool.
Transfer to a large bowl and let it cool for at least 30 minutes in the fridge.
Step 5: Add in your chosen salad ingredients.
Prepare the toppings of your choice, mix them into the quinoa and toss to combine well.
Step 6: Serve or store for later!
Quinoa salad recipe tips
Here are some of my top tips for making the best quinoa salad:
- Cook the quinoa ahead of time: You can make the quinoa 2 days before prepping your salads. This actually makes the salad prep easier, because you don't have to wait for the quinoa to cool down. You can even cook it then freeze it for up to 3 months.
- Rinse the quinoa: This is optional, but it does help rinse away any extra coating that may be on the quinoa.
- Ingredient prep: Cut down on prep time by chopping up any ingredients in advance. Learn how to ingredient prep.
- Store the salads in mason jars: You can store your salads in glass containers or even mason jars! These are the mason jars I like to use.
- Try out different toppings: These quinoa salad recipes are totally customizable. Feel free to try out different toppings, add-ins and salad dressings.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should you serve quinoa salad with?
These quinoa salad recipe ideas are fantastic for lunch or a veggie-packed side dish for dinner. Pair them with burgers, steak or chicken breasts to make a complete meal.
Do you serve it hot or cold?
These quinoa salad recipes are all served cold, so you don't need to worry about reheating your salad. If the quinoa is hot, the rest of the ingredients will get all soggy.
Do you need to rinse the quinoa first?
This is an optional step but I do recommend it. Quinoa has a natural coating that rinsing will wash away. Some people think it tastes bitter or soapy without rinsing while others might say it just has an earthy flavor. Most boxed quinoa is pre-rinsed, so you can rinse it again to be sure, but only if you want to. Just put it in a fine mesh strainer and run cold water over it for a minute or two.
Can you use a different dressing?
You can definitely customize these quinoa salad recipes by making them with different healthy salad dressings.
Can you make the quinoa ahead of time?
Yes! You can cut down on prep time by cooking the quinoa in advance. Make it in a rice cooker or in a pot on the stovetop up to 2 days in advance, or cook and freeze it for up to 3 months.
5 Different Quinoa Salad Variations
The following quinoa salad recipes will give you a place to start with experimenting with combinations. Feel free to mix and match with different ingredient and flavour combinations.
- Southwest quinoa salad
- Caprese quinoa salad
- Curried quinoa salad
- Green goddess quinoa salad
- Mediterranean quinoa salad
Storing quinoa salad
Quinoa salad is an easy lunch to prepare in advance. It is normally eaten cold so it’s a great option if your office doesn’t have a microwave. Plus, you’ll never have to worry about wilted or soggy lettuce! Store your salad in the fridge in glass meal prep containers for up to 5 days then eat it cold.
Can you freeze quinoa salad?
You can freeze quinoa on its own, but not the entire assembled quinoa salad. Freezing cooked quinoa is a great way to prep ahead – that way, it’s easy to make a salad with quinoa whenever you want.
After the quinoa cooked, allow it to cool completely. Then, transfer it into freezer storage bags or meal prep containers and store it in the freezer for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to use it, let it thaw in the fridge for 24 hours then use it to make a fresh salad or any recipe of your choice.
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More healthy quinoa recipes
Chickpea Quinoa Power Salad {Gluten Free}
See more related recipes
Meal Prep Tools
- Grab someglass meal prep bowlsif you plan on turning thesesalads into meal prep lunches.
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5 Quick & Easy Quinoa Salad Recipes
These 5 Quick & Easy Quinoa Salad Recipes are perfect for meal prep! They're a great make-ahead vegetarian lunch option.
4.92 from 49 votes
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Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 259kcal
Author: Taylor Stinson
Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes
Cooling time: 30 minutes minutes
Total Time: 1 hour hour
Ingredients
- 1 cup quinoa
- 2 cups water
- 1/2 tsp salt
Southwest quinoa salad
- 1 cup black beans
- 1 cup corn
- 1 red pepper, diced
- 2 tbsp lime juice
- 2 tbsp finely chopped cilantro
- 2 tsp chili powder
Mediterranean (Greek) quinoa salad
- 1 cup cucumber, diced
- 1/2 cup red onion, diced
- 1/2 cup sliced kalamata olives
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley
- 2 tsp oregano
Curried quinoa salad
- 1/2 cup shredded carrots
- 1 red pepper, diced
- 1/2 cup red onion, diced
- 2 green onions, sliced
- 1 tbsp curry powder
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
Caprese quinoa salad
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
- 1 cup bocconcini pearls, sliced in half
- 1 cup fresh basil leaves
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
Green goddess quinoa salad
- 1/2 cup edamame
- 1/2 cup broccoli finely chopped
- 1/2 cup cucumber
- 1/2 cup basil leaves
- 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
- 1/2 cup parsley, chopped
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
Instructions
Add quinoa and water to a large pot on the stove. Bring to a boil over high heat, then decrease to med-low heat and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Remove from heat, stirring quinoa once more. Transfer to a large bowl and let cool for at least 30 minutes in the fridge.
While quinoa is cooling (you can also do this while it's cooking), prepare the toppings of choice for whichever salad you are going to make (choose from one of the headings). Once quinoa has cooled slightly, mix in toppings and toss to combine well. Serve and enjoy!
Quinoa salad is typically eaten cold and will last in the fridge up to 5 days. Cooked quinoa without toppings will last in the freezer up to 3 months. If freezing, defrost in the fridge for 24 hours before tossing with toppings and serving.
Video
Notes
Cook the quinoa up to 2 days in advance for easy prep.
Try different ingredients like chickpeas, spinach, kale, avocado and feta.
Make sure to rinse the quinoa before cooking to rinse away the natural coating.
Store your quinoa salad in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Freeze cooked quinoa for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge for 24 hours then se it to make a fresh salad.
Nutrition
Calories: 259kcal (13%)Carbohydrates: 47g (16%)Protein: 11g (22%)Fat: 3g (5%)Saturated Fat: 1g (6%)Sodium: 301mg (13%)Potassium: 539mg (15%)Fiber: 8g (33%)Sugar: 3g (3%)Vitamin A: 1033IU (21%)Vitamin C: 40mg (48%)Calcium: 35mg (4%)Iron: 3mg (17%)
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Created by Taylor Stinson
Hey there, my name's Taylor! I’m the founder of The Girl on Bloor, a food blog where I share healthy meal prep recipes for busy people. I'm a busy city girl living in downtown Toronto on (you guessed it!) Bloor Street. I've got 10 years experience meal prepping, along with a Master's degree in journalism, and you can find my work across the internet featured on publications such as Buzzfeed, HuffPost, Women's Health, Reader's Digest and more. I also run the awesome 5-Day Meal Prep Challenge, which is a free email course and Facebook group where I share my meal planning strategies and easy meal prep tips and recipes. Be sure to check out my free beginner’s guide to meal prep and follow me on Facebook, YouTube and Instagram to get my latest recipes and meal prep tips!
Reader Interactions
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Did you make this recipe or want to share your thoughts? Make sure to leave your review below and tag me on Instagram #thegirlonbloor so I can check it out!
J says
I made the Caprese quinoa salad. Loved it! My 10-year-old loved it as well. It was much easier to make than I expected. We’re looking forward to trying the others. Thank you!Reply
Taylor Stinson says
I’m so happy you both enjoyed!
Reply
Christa C says
Amazing ! Can’t wait to try them. Just wondering why you don’t have any oil in these recipes I think ahealthy fats are good 🙂🙂
Reply
Taylor Stinson says
I don’t find they’re needed but you’re welcome to add some!
Reply
Michelle says
The nutrition facts are the same for each recipe?
Reply
Taylor Stinson says
They vary slightly for each but will be around the same because they’re all vegetarian and don’t contain any oil. The nutritional info you see should be for the Southwest version but if you need very specific macros, I suggest using something like Myfitnesspal to calculate the different ones.
Reply
Belle says
Is the Green Goddess salad supposed to have broccoli in it as well? It looks like it in the picture but it’s not listed. Thank you!
Reply
Taylor Stinson says
Yes it is supposed to have it, thank you for catching that! It’s been updated 🙂
Reply
Roxanne says
Is one cup of quinoa for each salad? if I wanted to make more that one salad at a time how much quinoa to cook?
Reply
Taylor Stinson says
It would be 1 cup of quinoa per salad. So if you wanted to make 2 salads, use 2 cups.
Reply
Danielle says
Are the ingredients listed for one serving of
quinoa? If we want to bulk prep one flavour in 4 bowls am I adding all the ingredients x 4 in one serving of quinoa?Reply
Taylor Stinson says
They’re listed for 4 servings.
Reply
Ronda says
Are all five salads 259 calories? Also how much is one serving?
Reply
Taylor Stinson says
No it is 259 calories per salad. I don’t provide servings by weight/cup unfortunately. You will need to take the number of servings listed and divide into portions. Each portion is a serving.
Reply
Linda says
I made the Mediterranean salad version & added some feta & red peppers. I was very skeptical about just dressing it with lemon juice but it’s really really good.Reply
Taylor Stinson says
I’m so glad you enjoyed!
Reply
GigiCT says
Thank you for these recipes. A friend gave me a Costco-sized bag of quinoa, so I am looking for different ways to use it up!
Reply
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