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Overhead shot of quinoa salad with two wooden spoons tossing the salad
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4.93 from 51 votes

Best Easy Quinoa Salad Recipe

This ultimate Quinoa Salad recipe has THE best dressing. It's gluten-free, vegan, protein-packed and the perfect cold lunch or potluck idea.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Cooling time30 minutes
Total Time1 hour 10 minutes
Course: Salad
Cuisine: American
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 336kcal
Author: Taylor Stinson

Ingredients

Quinoa

  • 1 cup quinoa
  • 2 cups water
  • 1/2 tsp salt

Filling

  • 1 can black beans
  • 1 cup edamame deshelled
  • 1 cup roasted corn or plain frozen corn
  • 1 cup cucumber diced
  • 1 cup roasted red peppers diced
  • 1/2 cup pickled red onions diced; or plain diced red onion
  • 1/4 cup fresh cilantro or parsley, finely chopped

Dressing

  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice
  • 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 1 tbsp dijon mustard
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1/2 tsp each salt & pepper

Instructions

  • Add quinoa, water and salt to a large pot on the stove, or to a rice cooker. Cook until liquid has absorbed, about 15 minutes.
  • Remove quinoa from heat, then transfer to a large bowl and let cool for at least 30 minutes in the fridge.
  • While quinoa is cooking and cooling, prepare the fillings and make the dressing in a small bowl. Once quinoa has cooled slightly, mix in toppings and dressing and toss to combine well. Serve and enjoy!

Notes

Cook the quinoa up to 2 days in advance for easy prep.
Try different ingredients like chickpeas, spinach, kale, avocado and feta.
Store your quinoa salad in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Freeze cooked quinoa (not the salad though!) for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge for 24 hours then set it to make a fresh salad.
FIVE OTHER VARIATIONS:
Caprese: Leave out fillings and add cherry tomatoes, bocconcini pearls, basil and balsamic vinegar.
Green Goddess: Leave out fillings and add broccoli, edamame, cucumber and herbs of choice.
Mediterranean: Leave out fillings and add kalamata olives, red onion, cucumber and parsley.
Tex Mex: Leave out fillings and add red pepper, corn, black beans and cilantro.
Curried: Leave out fillings and add curry powder, grated carrot, green onions and red pepper.

Nutrition

Calories: 336kcal | Carbohydrates: 44g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 0.002g | Sodium: 432mg | Potassium: 654mg | Fiber: 10g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 862IU | Vitamin C: 33mg | Calcium: 65mg | Iron: 4mg