Lemon Quinoa Salad with Fresh Herbs
A fresh, zesty quinoa salad packed with herbs, crunchy vegetables, and bright lemon flavor—perfect for meal prep, potlucks, or Mediterranean-themed dinners. Naturally gluten-free and easily made vegan.
Equipment
- Fine-mesh sieve
- Medium saucepan
- Sheet pan (for cooling quinoa)
- Sharp Knife
- Cutting board
- Mixing bowls
- Whisk
Ingredients
Quinoa Base
- 1 cup quinoa rinsed, white or tri-color
- 2 cups vegetable broth for cooking quinoa
- 1 lemon zest and juice
- 1 cucumber diced
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes quartered
- 1 red bell pepper finely diced
- 1/4 cup red onion finely diced
Fresh Herbs
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley chopped
- 2 tbsp fresh mint chopped
- 1 tbsp fresh dill chopped
- 1 tbsp chives chopped
Dressing
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp honey
- 1 clove garlic minced
- salt and black pepper to taste
Add-Ins and Toppings
- 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
- 1/4 cup feta cheese crumbled, optional
- 1 avocado diced, optional
Instructions
- Rinse quinoa thoroughly under cold water using a fine mesh sieve to remove bitterness.
- Combine rinsed quinoa with vegetable broth in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce heat to simmer for 15 minutes or until liquid is absorbed.
- Remove from heat and let sit, covered, for 5 minutes. Then fluff with a fork and spread on a sheet pan to cool.
- Meanwhile, dice cucumber, tomatoes, red bell pepper, and red onion. Finely chop all herbs.
- In a small bowl, whisk together lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil, Dijon mustard, honey, garlic, salt, and pepper.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine cooled quinoa, prepped vegetables, and herbs. Pour dressing over and toss gently to combine.
- Fold in toasted pine nuts and feta cheese, if using. Add avocado just before serving and toss gently to avoid mashing.
Notes
This salad gets better as it sits—perfect for next-day meals. If using avocado, add just before serving to preserve texture.