Easy Quinoa Salad with Lemon Shallot Dressing (vegan, gluten free)
Jul 11, 2021 • Updated Jun 20, 2023
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This easy Quinoa Salad has a savory lemon and shallot dressing, white beans, crunchy cucumber and bitter radicchio and radish for a bright, summery and fresh side dish.
Grain salads are such a reliable and easy dish. You can make them ahead of time (they get even more flavorful when they’re left to sit for a day or two!). They’re easy to customize with whatever you have on hand. And they’re often very allergy-friendly.
This quick quinoa salad is vegan, gluten-free, nut-free and packed with plant-based protein.
How to Make Easy Quinoa Salad
The key to this salad is to pack it with as many crunchy, fresh veggies as you can.
Here’s what I like to use:
- Cucumber for crunch and refreshing flavor.
- Zucchini and squash which are lovely raw, when thinly sliced
- White beans for protein and creaminess
- Radicchio and radish for a slightly bitter and bright flavor
Shallot Vinaigrette
Watch as the fluffy quinoa soaks up the savory lemon shallot dressing, which is made with:
- Shallot. Mince it nice and small so you get a little in every bite.
- Garlic
- Maple syrup for a hint of sweetness. You can also use agave or vegan honee.
- Lemon juice for brightness. You can swap it for lime, vinegar or orange juice, too.
- Olive oil. Choose a nice extra-virgin oil for this dressing, as the flavor makes a big difference.
Storage
You can make the quinoa salad the day before you plan to serve it. The grains will take on more flavor as they sit in the lemon shallot dressing.
This is best served chilled, so if you plan to serve it right away, make sure your quinoa is chilled before you add the veggies! Using warm quinoa will wilt your veg and you’ll end up with less crunch.
Other Mix-Ins
It’s easy to customize this salad with other veggies and mix-ins. Try:
- Bell peppers
- Olives
- Vegan feta cheese
- Pumpkin seeds
- Red onion
- Shredded cabbage
- Fresh herbs
More Easy Recipes with Quinoa
- Creamy Quinoa Mushroom Bake (vegan, gluten free, grain free)
- Three Mushroom Quinoa Soup (vegan, gluten-free, oil free)
- Golden Garlic Quinoa (vegan, gluten free, oil free)
- Butternut Squash and Quinoa Bowl via Plant Based RD
If you make this easy quinoa salad with lemon-shallot vinaigrette, let me know what you think with a comment below!
Easy Quinoa Salad with Lemon Shallot Dressing (vegan, gluten free)
Ingredients
- 1-2 cups cooked quinoa cooled
- 8 oz cooked white beans or chickpeas
- 3 mini cucumbers thinly sliced
- 1 zucchini thinly sliced
- 1 yellow squash thinly sliced
- radicchio shredded
- handful radish thinly sliced
- Lemon Shallot Dressing
- juice of 1 1/2 lemons
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp shallot finely minced
- 1 clove garlic finely minced
- 1/2 tsp maple syrup
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Toss all of your salad ingredients into a large mixing bowl.
- To make dressing, shake all ingredients vigorously in a jar or whisk in a bowl. Alternatively, you can food process, if you prefer something a little smoother. Add to salad, toss again and enjoy!
Video
@veggiekins A salad that doesn’t suck 😌 #vegan #veganrecipes #wellness #tutorials #summervibes #tiktokrecipes #foodtiktok #gfdf #plantbased
♬ Clouds - Luke Faulkner
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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