Quinoa Salad

Name: Quinoa Salad
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Yield: 6 cups
Ingredients: SALAD1 cup dry quinoa 2 cups water or low-sodium vegetable broth2 large carrots; diced3 large celery stalks; diced1 large red bell pepper; diced3 green onions; sliced3 Tablespoons minced parsley DRESSING¼ cup rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar2 Tablespoons water1 Tablespoon vegetable oil2 cloves garlic; finely chopped or ½ teaspoon garlic powder

Quick and healthy quinoa salad made with fresh vegetables and a tangy garlic dressing.

Bowl of quinoa with a colorful vegetable mix.

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Makes: 6 cups
Nutrition Facts: View label

Ingredients

SALAD

1 cup dry quinoa

2 cups water or low-sodium vegetable broth

2 large carrots, diced

3 large celery stalks, diced

1 large red bell pepper, diced

3 green onions, sliced

3 Tablespoons minced parsley

DRESSING

¼ cup rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar

2 Tablespoons water

1 Tablespoon vegetable oil

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped or ½ teaspoon garlic powder

Directions

Wash hands with soap and water.
Rinse or scrub fresh vegetables under running water before preparing.
Rinse the quinoa in a fine-mesh wire strainer under running water for 1 minute.
Bring the water or broth and quinoa to a boil in a 2 to 3-quart saucepan. Lower the heat, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes. Refrigerate until cool.
While quinoa is cooling, combine all the vegetables in a salad bowl.
In a small bowl or jar with a tight lid, mix or shake together the dressing ingredients. Add to the vegetables.
Add quinoa and stir gently to combine.
Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours.

Notes

Try adding chopped cilantro or basil instead of parsley.
No quinoa? Use bulgur instead.

Comments

Submitted by HENelson13 on Mon, 07/15/2024 - 16:50

I have made this Quinoa Salad recipe multiple times now for tastings at food pantries. It has been a well liked recipe! This is a great beginner recipe if you are new to quinoa. Very easy and tasting when using apple cider vinegar.

Submitted by FHteam on Fri, 05/06/2022 - 15:37

Due to a number of comments about the amount of vinegar in this recipe, we retested and agreed that the flavor is just as tasty (but not overpowering) with 1/4 cup rice vinegar. We also found the apple cider vinegar also works well for this dish.

The Food Hero Team

Submitted by TeresaP on Mon, 08/10/2015 - 08:48

This salad is so colorful and tasty! It is easy to make ahead and pack for lunch during the week. I cooked the quinoa in low sodium vegetable broth which added a lot of flavor. I also had fresh cilantro on hand so I used that instead of parsley. I really like the tart flavor of this salad, but if you aren't a fan of vinegar start with half the amount and add more to taste.

Submitted by tierrabonita on Tue, 06/02/2015 - 08:31

This is a wonderful recipe!! My family loves it as do guests...we make it often! And it makes great leftovers.

Submitted by JanPlum on Mon, 01/26/2015 - 13:11

This is a great recipe IF you cut the amount of vinegar in half! I made it just like the recipe calls for, and it was waaaaay to liquidy & tart. I used half the amount the next time and it was perfect!

Submitted by lkraemer on Thu, 12/18/2014 - 14:10

This is a great recipe if you are already a quinoa fan. We sampled this at a food bank and it wasn't their favorite. Many of the folks at one of our sites have a lot of dental issues so the really firm fresh carrots, celery, and peppers were a source of complaint. You can partially steam them ahead of time to make them softer. I make a similar salad at home and add fresh mango and black beans to the recipe and it is a family favorite.

Submitted by Edamame on Tue, 03/26/2013 - 15:40

This is one of my favorite recipes on this site. It is oh so good and healthy!

Submitted by Claudia on Thu, 11/01/2012 - 14:42

I really liked this salad.