Italian Quinoa Salad
This Italian quinoa salad is a fresh dish full of nutrient-dense veggies, hearty quinoa, and tangy dressing.
Servings 6 servings
Calories 317kcal
Ingredients
For the salad:
- 1 ¼ cup dry quinoa
- 2 ½ cups vegetable broth (or chicken broth)
- 2 cups arugula, packed
- 1 ½ cups quartered cherry tomatoes
- 1 cup diced peeled cucumber (about 1 small-medium cucumber or ½ large cucumber)
- ¾ cup mozzarella pearls
- ½ cup chopped roasted red peppers
- ⅓ cup chopped basil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced (optional; I love fresh garlic!)
For the dressing (see notes):
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- ½ tablespoon honey
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Cook the quinoa according to package directions using broth as the cooking liquid (rather than water). Let cool for a few minutes.
- In a large bowl, combine the arugula, tomatoes, cucumber, mozzarella, roasted red peppers, basil, and garlic. Add the cooked quinoa.
- In a bowl or mason jar, prepare the dressing by combining the oil, vinegar, mustard, honey, salt, and pepper. Whisk together or shake the jar until well-combined.
- If enjoying now, pour the dressing into the quinoa salad and toss all the ingredients together until well-combined. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Feel free to use a bottled vinaigrette or Italian salad dressing rather than making dressing from scratch.
- If you are making this ahead of time, I recommend keeping the quinoa salad and dressing separate and dress right before serving. This prevents the quinoa from absorbing too much of the dressing and becoming too dry prior to serving.
- This recipe makes 6 side-dish servings. It can be converted to an entrée by mixing with chicken, steak, or tofu, or increasing the portion size.
Nutrition
Calories: 317kcal