Refreshing Quinoa Salad Recipe

This refreshing quinoa salad is packed with healthy and flavorful ingredients. The quinoa is combined with fresh veggies and an olive oil dressing to create a dish that is both nutritious and satisfying. It is perfect for a quick and easy lunch or dinner or a side dish.

Why You'll Love this Quinoa Salad

If you're a fan of quinoa, then you'll love this delicious quinoa salad recipe. It's packed full of wholesome veggies and tossed in an olive oil dressing that brings all the flavors together for a satisfying dish your whole family will enjoy. Plus, it's easy to make and perfect for meal prepping, so you can always have something healthy and tasty on hand.

The combination of fresh vegetables with fragrant herbs and a zesty dressing results in the perfect balance between sweet, savory, and tart flavors. This Mediterranean salad is delicious, filling, and satisfying. 

Is this Recipe Healthy?

Yes, this recipe is healthy in many ways. Quinoa is high in protein, fiber, and many vitamins and minerals, such as folate, magnesium, iron, zinc, vitamin B6, copper, and manganese. Quinoa is a complete protein, meaning it contains all 9 essential amino acids.

The olive oil dressing is full of healthy fats that can boost your heart health, while the vegetables are rich sources of vitamins and minerals that keep your body functioning properly. This quinoa salad is packed with a variety of veggies, such as green peppers, tomatoes, carrots, cucumber, onion, black olives, chives, and parsley. 

Some of the key nutrients found in veggies include folate, potassium, vitamin A, vitamin C, and dietary fiber. These nutrients contribute to everything from maintaining healthy blood pressure levels to protecting against chronic diseases like cancer and heart disease.

Vegetables also provide important phytonutrients, compounds that protect our cells from damage caused by free radicals. When you include plenty of fresh vegetables in your diet on a regular basis, you’ll be well on your way to maintaining good health for years to come.

How to Make Refreshing Quinoa Salad

1. Cook the quinoa and set aside.
2. Dice the red onion, green pepper, carrot, and cucumber into small pieces.
3. Cut the cherry tomatoes in half.
4. Chop the fresh herbs into small pieces.
5. Make a bed of cooked quinoa in a salad bowl. Add the chopped veggies and herbs on top.
6. Mix the olive oil, lemon juice, and salt until it emulsifies. It is ready when it changes color and gets a bit thicker.
7. Pour the dressing over the salad. Add the feta cheese and black olives and mix well.

Tips for Making the Best Quinoa Salad

This quinoa salad is fantastic the way it is, but here are a few tips you can follow to add variety to your quinoa salad:

• This salad is versatile. You can add and subtract veggies according to your preferences. For example, substitute or add red bell pepper, different kinds of tomatoes, roasted beets, roasted sweet potatoes, or nuts and seeds. The possibilities are almost endless. 
• You could even add more protein by adding some cooked chicken, turkey, shrimp, or tofu.
• Another easy way to mix things up is by changing up your dressing. Try using pesto instead of olive oil for a creamy flavor that goes well with almost anything. To give the quinoa salad an extra zing, add a splash of balsamic vinegar to the olive oil dressing.
• This salad is perfect for meal prepping. You can store it in the fridge for up to 4 days. It’s very good when it is fresh and also after a few days.

More Quinoa Recipes

• Healthy Three Bean Quinoa Salad
• Vegan Pumpkin Lentil Chili with Quinoa
• Shrimp, Orange, and Avocado Quinoa Salad
• Salmon Walnut Quinoa Bowls

Quinoa Salad FAQs

Bottom Line

Packed with plenty of fresh vegetables and topped off with a zesty olive oil dressing, this quinoa salad is a great choice for lunch or dinner any day of the week. It is high in protein, fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Whether you are following a vegetarian diet or want to add more plant-based foods to your diet, this quinoa salad will meet your needs. So why not give it a try today?

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