READY IN 1½ hrs

Quinoa Veggie Salad with Zesty Vinaigrette

Read Reviews (50)

"Quinoa with various veggies and a zesty (and easy) vinaigrette that makes a wonderful salad dressing for any salad. I used one English cucumber instead of 2 normal cucumbers because we prefer the taste. Cook the quinoa with the water as you would normal rice (works in a rice cooker as well)." — Randy Finger

Directions

Bring the quinoa and water to a boil in a saucepan. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the quinoa is tender and the water has been absorbed, about 15 to 20 minutes. Scrape the cooked quinoa into a large bowl and refrigerate until cold, about 1 hour.
Place the vinegar, salt, pepper, lemon juice, and mustard into a blender. Drizzle in the oil while blending at high speed until the dressing is thick.
Add the cucumbers, bell pepper, red onion, tomato, and olives to the bowl with the quinoa. Pour the dressing overtop and gently fold until evenly mixed.

Kitchen-Friendly View

PREP 10 mins
COOK 20 mins
READY IN 1 hr 30 mins

Reviews More Reviews

Most Helpful Positive Review

Aug 04, 2009

This will be a regular side dish at our house! I was short on time, so I used a bottle of italian salad dressing and it was delicious :) I'm sure the red wine Vinaigrette would be great too! Will try that next time when I'm not so pressed for time. Thanks for the great recipe!

—ElizaB

See full review »

Most Helpful Critical Review

Feb 17, 2010

A little dry for my tastes, i usually cook the quinoa in more water, and I would definitely up the veggie ratio in the future to make it more salad-like. Otherwise decently tasty.

—Jesse Camilla

See full review »

65 Ratings

See other versions of this recipe!

Feb 10, 2010

Great recipe! I cut the Quinoa down by a lot but used the same amount of veggies, cut the oil in half in the dressing, it was really good. I was a little nervous b/c i tasted the dressing and didn't really like it--but i put it in anyway and it was a fantastic complement! Thanks!

—toast

See full review »

Nov 11, 2009

Excellent salad! I'm always looking for gluten free recipes and this is one of the best. I loved the dressing so I added extra. Taking it to a potluck at work today!

—Trudy

See full review »

Apr 12, 2011

The dressing for this salad is out of this world! I crave this salad. I have used light olive oil in place of the canola oil and I use trader joes sweet/hot mustard which give it an extra special taste. I love that you can use whatever veggies appeal and I use half the amount of quinoa cooked in chicken broth. If you love quinoa sald and want a new and amazing recipe you have to try this one!!

—Katrina

See full review »

Jun 01, 2010

Wow! This was excellent! The only thing I did differently was I added broccoli and I used red pepper instead of green. Also, I was real short on time so I used bottled organic italian dressing. The colors in this dish are beautiful:) I cannot wait to share this with my family. I am sure it will become a staple in our home. Thanks so much for sharing.

—Deana

See full review »

Jun 24, 2010

So awesome. What a great summer side salad or add some chopped chicken and make it a meal! I cut the quinoa in half, used a yellow and orange pepper, 1 cucumber, used Kalamata olives, small broccoli florets, and an extra tomato. Also cut the oil in half in the dressing. SO DELICIOUS!

—LINDAANA

See full review »

Sep 17, 2009

My daughter loves this salad. I am actually making a batch to bring to her in college.

—Lowcmom

See full review »

Edit

Glad you liked it! Your friends will, too:

Did you tweak the recipe? Edit and save your own version of it!

Edit this recipe

More Recipes Like This See all

Kale, Quinoa, and Avocado Salad with Lemon Dijon Vinaigrette

Cranberry and Cilantro Quinoa Salad

Kale and Quinoa Salad

Garlicky Quinoa and Garbanzo Bean Salad

Mediterranean Quinoa Salad

Nutty Brown Rice Salad

Wheatberry Waldorf Salad

Quinoa with Peaches and Creamy Yogurt

Grilled Corn and Poblano Salad with Chipotle Vinaigrette

Chicken and Vegetable Pasta Salad

Nutrition

Calories
215 kcal
11%

Carbohydrates
21.2 g
7%

Cholesterol
0 mg
0%

Fat
13 g
20%

Fiber
2.9 g
12%

Protein
4.4 g
9%

Sodium
371 mg
15%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Nutritional Information

Quinoa Veggie Salad with Zesty Vinaigrette

Serving Size: 1/24 of a recipe
Servings Per Recipe: 24
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 215
Calories from Fat: 117

% Daily Value *
Total Fat 13g 20 %
Saturated Fat 1.1g 6 %
Cholesterol 0mg 0 %
Sodium 371mg 15 %
** Potassium 226mg 6 %
Total Carbohydrates 21.2g 7 %
Dietary Fiber 2.9g 12 %
Protein 4.4g 9 %
** Sugars 0.8g
** Vitamin A 4 %
** Vitamin C 10 %
** Calcium 4 %
** Iron 20 %
** Thiamin 7 %
** Niacin 10 %
** Vitamin B6 11 %
** Magnesium 22 %
** Folate 31 %

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.
(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.