Quinoa Vegetable Salad (Easy!)
This nourishing quinoa salad features colorful veggies, chickpeas, fresh herbs, and a lemon-garlic dressing! It's so easy to assemble, and great made in advance for meal prep, picnics, potlucks, and beyond.
Servings: 8 (1 cup servings)
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup white quinoa
- 15 oz. can garbanzo beans
- 1 1/2 cups sweet corn, cooked
- 1/2 pint grape tomatoes
- 1/2 English cucumber
- 1 orange bell pepper
- 2/3 cup red onion
- 2-3 Tbsp. fresh basil
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley
For the lemon-garlic dressing:
- 3 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
- 2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
- 2 tsp. Dijon mustard
- 1-2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 tsp. salt
Instructions
- Cook quinoa: Place 2/3 cup quinoa (rinsed and drained) in a medium saucepan with 1 cup water (or vegetable broth for more flavor). Bring to a light boil over medium-high heat. Then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes or until water is absorbed. Fluff with a fork.
- Make dressing: While quinoa is cooking, place all dressing ingredients in a small bowl. Whisk to combine and set aside.
- Prepare vegetables: Halve/quarter the tomatoes. Dice the cucumber and bell pepper. Finely dice the red onion. Roughly chop the fresh basil and parsley. Place all in a large mixing bowl. Rinse and drain the garbanzo beans and add to bowl. Add the sweet corn.
- Assemble salad: When quinoa is done cooking, let it cool for a few minutes. Then add it to the bowl with the veggies.
- Add dressing: Pour dressing over the top and toss well to combine. Taste and adjust flavors if desired. (Add more salt, vinegar, lemon juice, herbs, etc.)
- Serving: You can serve this dish immediately or let it chill covered in the refrigerator for a few hours to let the flavors intensify.
Notes
Yield: Recipe makes about 8 heaping cups salad. (It's a large batch so reduce if desired.)
Variations: Add avocado, vegan feta cheese crumbles, Kalamata olives, roasted red pepper, or a dollop of dairy-free pesto for extra flavor.
Recipe inspired by Betty Crocker.
Nutrition Per Serving (Estimate)
Calories: 148 kcal | Carbohydrates: 27 g | Protein: 6 g | Fat: 3 g | Saturated Fat: 0.3 g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1 g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1 g | Potassium: 393 mg | Fiber: 5 g | Sugar: 4 g | Vitamin A: 1004 IU | Vitamin C: 32 mg | Calcium: 43 mg | Iron: 2 mg
