Quick and healthy quinoa salad made with fresh vegetables and a tangy garlic dressing.
Quinoa Salad
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.
You might also like...
Salsa Macha
Salsa Macha
You will love this pepper-infused oil made with hot peppers, garlic and peanuts. It is delicious drizzled on just about anything and stores well in your refrigerator or freezer.
Prepare:
20 minutes
Cook:
20 minutes
Makes:
1 ½ cups
Succotash
Succotash
Combine sweet corn and tender lima beans with okra and tomato to make the perfect side dish of summer or any time of the year. Succotash is a blend of indigenous and African Heritage foods and we thank those who have shared this recipe with Food Hero.
Prepare:
15 minutes
Cook:
30 to 45 minutes
Makes:
5 ½ cups
Wild Rice with Salmon Stew
Wild Rice with Salmon Stew
Filling and flavorful meal combining fish, vegetables and whole grains with herbs and lemon.
Prepare:
20 minutes
Cook:
30 to 40 minutes
Makes:
8 Servings
Glass of Sunshine Flavored Water
Glass of Sunshine Flavored Water
Easy, homemade flavored water. So refreshing!
Prepare:
5 minutes
Cook:
0
Makes:
8 cups
Plant Part Salad
Plant Part Salad
Kids learn the parts of a plant and how to make a tasty salad with this recipe.
Prepare:
15 to 20 minutes
Makes:
12 cups
Sautéed Cabbage
Sautéed Cabbage
Earthy with a bit of sweetness, this tasty sautéed cabbage recipe only has 5 ingredients and is ready in less than 30 minutes.
Prepare:
10 minutes
Cook:
10 minutes
Makes:
5 cups
Comments
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.
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
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.
This is a wonderful recipe!! My family loves it as do guests...we make it often! And it makes great leftovers.
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!
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.
This is one of my favorite recipes on this site. It is oh so good and healthy!
I really liked this salad.