Are you looking for a new go-to salad recipe for meal prep? Look no further! We have gathered all of our favorite quinoa salad recipes and you are going to love them! These quinoa salad recipes are great for meal prep, weeknight meals and more! We’ve got vegan quinoa salad options, a quinoa black bean salad recipe, and more!

Quinoa- It’s a Complete Protein, People

Did you know that quinoa is a complete protein? Heck yes, it is! Whether you are a vegetarian looking for protein or a carnivore looking for a healthy side dish, quinoa is always a good idea. We have loved quinoa from the first time we tried to cook it over the stove! We don’t just love quinoa salad recipes, we love quinoa recipes of all kinds. We talk about all of our favorites in our 10 Healthy Quinoa Recipes Post.  We love quinoa casseroles, quinoa buddha bowls, and quinoa porridge! You just can’t beat a ‘grain’ that is gluten free, tasty, and a complete protein. We generally substitute quinoa in dishes that use rice, pasta, bulgar, and other whole grains. However, our two favorite ways to use quinoa is in quinoa casseroles and QUINOA SALADS. Today we are chatting all about our favorite quinoa salads, how to prepare quinoa, staples to have on hand, as well as sharing one of the easiest quinoa salads that you can whip up on a weeknight- Quinoa Black Bean Salad.

How to Cook Quinoa

There are a few different ways to cook quinoa! We have some easy tutorials on How to Cook Quinoa on the Stovetop, How to Cook Quinoa in the Microwave as well as How to Make Quinoa in the Instant Pot. Both the microwave and Instant Pot are great ways for you to prepare quinoa, especially if you are living in a college dorm! What I would have given for some way to cook grains and my favorite foods in my dorm room. #thankgodfortheinstantpot Anywho, if you don’t have an Instant Pot or a microwave, or if you simply would rather make stove top quinoa, here is the most tried and true recipe on how to cook quinoa.

1. Start by rinsing your quinoa. Place 1 cup of uncooked quinoa into a sieve or colander and rinse with water. Shake off access water and place into a medium saucepan.
2. Add 2 cups of water to the saucepan over medium/high heat and bring to a boil.
3. Turn heat to low, cover saucepan, and simmer for 20 minutes or until all water is absorbed.
4. Remove from heat and prepare your quinoa salad recipe!

We love to have quinoa prepared and meal prepped in our refrigerator so we have quinoa prepared for salads like our Golden Roasted Cauliflower and Quinoa Salad or our Fresh Caprese Quinoa Salad. We also like to always have quinoa salad staples and ingredients ready in our pantry and refrigerator. Don’t worry, we’ve gathered all of our kitchen staples below!

Quinoa Salad Kitchen Staples

Don’t freak out. You don’t need to have all of the ingredients below on hand at all times! We gathered ingredients that we use time and time again in our favorite quinoa salads as a helpful guide for you and yours!

Fresh Ingredients

• Cherry Tomatoes
• Avocados
• Green Onions
• Cauliflower
• Cheese
• Red Onion
• Fresh Herbs

Pantry Ingredients

• Black Beans
• Garbanzo Beans
• Raisins
• Sun Flower Seeds
• Slivered Almonds
• Cumin
• Chili Powder
• Canned Corn
• Sea Salt

Healthy Quinoa Salad Recipes

Here are some of our favorite quinoa salad recipes! Most of our quinoa salad recipes are vegan quinoa salad recipes or great vegetarian salad options. Feel free to add your own twist to these quinoa salads by adding your favorite protein or by serving the alongside something like our Instant Pot Moroccan Chicken or with our Rosemary Thyme Balsamic Meat Balls.

• Golden Roasted Cauliflower and Quinoa Salad
• Quinoa Tabouli Recipe
• Mexican Quinoa Salad
• Roasted Brussels Sprout Salad with Quinoa 
• Fresh Caprese Quinoa Salad
• Citrus Quinoa Salad
• Crunchy Thai Quinoa Salad by Ambitious Kitchen
• One Pot Morrocan Chickpea Quinoa Salad by Ambitious Kitchen
• Southwest Quinoa Salad by Kristin’s Kitchen
• Broccoli Quinoa Salad by Well Plated
• Crunchy Thai Peanut and Quinoa Salad by Cookie and Kate
• Quinoa Chickpea and Avocado Salad with Black Beans by Food Faith Fitness
• Spinach and Mushroom Quinoa Salad by Julia’s Album
• Quinoa Chicken Spinach Salad with Honey Lime Vinegarette Family Food on the Table
• Moroccan Quinoa Power Salad by Lets Dish
• Greek Quinoa Salad by Eating Bird Food

Quinoa Casserole Recipes

Want more quinoa recipes? Check out our casseroles!

• Naked Spinach Quinoa Lasagna Casserole
• Meal Prep Chicken Cacciatore Quinoa Bake
• Quinoa Broccoli and Cheese Casserole
• 6 Healthy Casseroles Perfect for Any Time of Year
• Mexican Sweet Potato Quinoa Casserole
• Southwestern Quinoa Casserole