These easy Quinoa Salad Recipes are perfect for meal prep! Choose from 5 flavours: southwest, curried, Mediterranean, caprese, or green goddess. They're full of protein and super healthy!
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Making quinoa
Choose the type of quinoa you want to prepare. Before you can prepare the salad, you first need to prepare the quinoa.
- White quinoa is the most common to find in the store. It cooks up to a fluffy light texture.
- Black quinoa has an earthy flavor.
- Red quinoa is has the most nutritional value in the form of vitamins and minerals. Red quinoa ends up a little chewier. It has a rich nutty taste. This is the common choice for cold salads because it retains its texture so well.
- There are also purple and orange varieties of quinoa, but they can be difficult to find in stock at most stores.
How to make quinoa salad (step-by-step)
Quinoa salad is quick and easy to make in a large batch.
- Put the quinoa and water in a pot on the stove. The quinoa to water ratio is 1:2. This means, for every cup of quinoa, you will need 2 cups of cooking liquid.
- Cook the quinoa for about 15 minutes, or until the water is absorbed.
- Before preparing the salad, allow the quinoa to cool for 30 minutes.
For an added layer of flavor, you can also toast the quinoa before cooking it. Just toss it in a little olive oil over medium-high heat for a few minutes before adding the water to the pot.
While your quinoa cools, go ahead and prepare all the other ingredients that will go into the salad.
- Clean and chop the veggies
- Mix liquid ingredients for dressing
- Prepare any proteins or meats you want to add
- If you are substituting ingredients and using softer fruits and veggies or nuts, wait until the day you plan to eat the salad to add them to the top.
Why are quinoa salad recipes great for meal prep?
Quinoa salad is an easy lunch to prepare in advance. It is normally eaten cold so no worries if your office doesn’t have a microwave. It holds up remarkably well in storage. As a result, you’ll never have to worry about wilted or soggy lettuce with these nutritious salads!
Plus, with a large batch of cooked quinoa, you can create an entire week or even a month's worth of meals, quickly and easily. Plain quinoa freezes beautifully and a fully prepared quinoa salad will last in the fridge for up to five days.
Quinoa salad is a perfect meal for a busy day. It is high in protein and fiber. You’ll feel full for a long time after eating this salad. It also has a low glycemic index so it will not cause a blood sugar spike. It’s been proven to have heart and respiratory benefits as well.
Quinoa Salad Recipes
The following quinoa salad recipes will give you a place to start with experimenting with combinations. To make these varieties, keep reading!
- Southwest
- Mediterranean
- Curried quinoa salad
- Caprese
- Green goddess
Southwest quinoa salad
Caprese quinoa salad
Curried quinoa salad
Green goddess quinoa salad
Mediterranean quinoa salad
Do you need to rinse quinoa before cooking?
Most recipes call for rinsing quinoa before cooking. 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.
However, most boxed quinoa is pre-rinsed. 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.
Ingredient substitutions
If there are ingredients that you don’t care for, or you have other reasons not to use them, there are plenty of options! Other popular ingredients for quinoa salad include:
- Chickpeas
- Spinach, kale, or other dark greens
- Avocado
- Cheese (Feta is a popular choice)
- Citrus zest and/or juice
Can you freeze quinoa salad?
You can freeze the ingredient of quinoa salad, but not the entire assembled quinoa salad.
Quinoa however, is very easy to freeze. After it is cooked, allow it to cool completely. Then, transfer the quinoa into freezer storage bags or meal prep containers. Frozen quinoa will keep well for up to three months.
When you are ready to use it, thaw the quinoa in the fridge for 24 hours.
Main dishes to serve with quinoa salads
Quinoa has fewer calories and carbs than white rice. It’s easy to substitute cooked quinoa for rice in any recipe if you are eating a low carb diet. It’s also a gluten-free grain that can be eaten in place of pasta.
These salads are fantastic for lunch or a veggie-packed side dish for dinner. Pair it with burgers, steak, pork, or poultry to make a complete meal.
Other healthy quinoa recipes
- 21 Delicious Healthy Quinoa Recipes
- Tahini, Kale, and Quinoa Bowl
- Quinoa and Turkey Stuffed Mini Bell Peppers
Meal prep tools for this recipe
- Grab some glass meal prep bowls if you plan on turning this salad into meal prep lunches
- Freeze this recipe in glass microwave-safe bowls up to 3 months
Meal prep challenge
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Quinoa Salad Recipes 5 Ways
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 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 heatn 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. 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
Nutrition
Sylvianne Craig says
Is the quinoa quantity for one of these and it serves four people? Or to divide between the five options for four people. I am not that familiar with how quinoa cooks up. Looks like great variations.
Taylor Stinson says
Hi Sylvianne! The quinoa quantity is for one of the flavours, and it serves 4 people 🙂
Olivia says
What are the nutritional values for each of the variations? Is the nutritional information given for the quinoa alone?
Taylor Stinson says
Hey Olivia! The nutritional info is about the same for each variety (includes veggies, quinoa, sauce and other add-ins)..it will vary very slightly per salad, and if you need exact figures you can use an app like My fitness pal to calculate it.
Lisa says
I didn’t see the Greek quinoa recipe. Did I miss it?
Taylor Stinson says
Hi Lisa – it’s there in the recipe card! It’s just labelled Mediterranean.
Line says
Interesting array of ideas! I’d love to make the curried version for a real change from our typical salads, but my Other Half can’t bear bell peppers. Could you suggest another vegetable I could include, please?
Thanks for your help.
Taylor Stinson says
Thank you so much! I would recommend just leaving them out altogether or possible adding in another veggie such as celery or zucchini.
Tash says
Great ideas. What order would you put these salads in for meal prep in mason jars to avoid it being soggy?
Taylor Stinson says
Hey Tash – I’m not sure I understand your question, my apologies! I would recommend putting each salad in separate mason jars. In terms of which ones you should eat up first, I’d say you should probably eat the caprese and the green goddess first. Hope that helps!
Carol says
I cooked the quinoa in broth and added cumin and garlic granules. It was to dry for me so I added some olive oil (garlic infused) too!