Lemon Quinoa Salad Recipe

Urvashee Patel | Dessarts

Lemon Quinoa Salad is a perfect side dish or main course salad. Lovely bright flavors.

I recently discovered Zoe’s Kitchen, a Mediterranean chain restaurant serving fresh meals with tons of vegetarian options. One of the best salads they have is their quinoa salad.

Lemon Quinoa Salad Photo

You can enjoy it there served over a bed of greens but they also sell it in pre-packed containers. It’s an easy lunch to pick up when you are running around and have no time.

It’s also simple enough that you can easily make this quinoa salad at home too.

Lemon Quinoa Salad Picture

This is not a salad I can pick up and bring home for dinner anyway. You see,  Zoe’s quinoa salad, which I love, has celery in it.

I can barely taste it, but it’s definitely in there. S has a very strong aversion to celery.

Even a subtle amount is enough to not eat it. Crazy right? Well, I guess everyone has their thing.

I have an extreme dislike to the texture of mushrooms.

Anyways, this is my attempt at making Zoe’s quinoa salad and I’m quite happy with the results. I wouldn’t call it a copycat recipe.

After all, it’s missing the celery! Let’s just say it’s inspired by their salad. I promise it’s just as good in its own way.

Lemon Quinoa Salad Image

You can totally make this ahead of time and store it in small to-go containers. Or you can even layer it in Mason jars if you are into those.

I would put the dressing on the bottom, then quinoa, veggies, and feta. I have not done this myself, (I have yet to get that organized!) but I hear they last around 5 days so you can have one prep and a great salad all week.

Quinoa is a grain so this salad is filling and can be a healthy light meal. The other nice thing about quinoa is that you can make a batch of it and just store it in the refrigerator.

Use it throughout the week in various recipes like this summer quinoa salad from Julia. If you prefer a Mexican flair, you can also check out my quinoa burrito bowl recipe.

Planning a dinner party and need some inspiration?

How about looking for a new slow cooker dinner idea?

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Lemon Quinoa Salad Recipe

    4 Servings

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup Quinoa
  • 1 cup Broccoli Florets, Chopped
  • 1/8 teaspoon Garlic Powder
  • 1 teaspoon Oregano
  • 2 tablespoons Fresh Parsley, Chopped
  • 1/2 cup Chopped Cucumber
  • 1/2 cup Diced Tomatoes
  • 1/2 cup Chopped Scallions
  • 1/4 teaspoon Lemon Zest
  • 3 tablespoons Fresh Lemon Juice
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon Mustard
  • 1/2 teaspoon Granulated Sugar
  • 3 tablespoons Olive Oil
  • Salt and Pepper, To taste

Directions

  1. Thoroughly rinse the quinoa. Combine in a medium pot with 2 cups of water. Bring it to boil, then cover and simmer until the water is gone. Cool.
  2. Boil a separate small pot of water. Add the broccoli and let it cook for 3-4 minutes. Remove the broccoli and immediately cool it in ice water. Drain and set aside.
  3. In a large bowl, combine the cooled quinoa with garlic powder, oregano, fresh parsley and salt and pepper to taste.
  4. Mix in the cucumbers, broccoli, tomatoes, and scallions.
  5. In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, zest, Dijon mustard, and sugar.
  6. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil while whisking.
  7. Add the dressing to the quinoa salad. Adjust salt and pepper if needed. 

Notes

  • You can use either red or white quinoa.
  • I am very generous with my fresh ground pepper in any dish with lemons. They pair well together so don’t be afraid to add little more!

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Category:
Salads
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Related Recipes:
Vegetarian Recipes, Salad Recipes, Quinoa Recipes, Quinoa Salad Recipes, Lemon Recipes, Easy Recipes, Easy Dinner Recipes, Side Dish Recipes
Recipe Yields:
4 servings
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Cook Time:
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Related Post:
Published:
Author: Urvashee Patel
Recipe Yields: 4 servings
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes

Nutrition Facts

Servings Per Recipe 4

Amount Per Serving
Calories from Fat 92
Calories 232

% Daily Value*
18%
Total Fat 11g
5%
  Saturated Fat 1g
1%
Sodium 32mg
9%
Total Carbohydrate 26g
4%
  Dietary Fiber 3g
  Sugars 2g
9%
Protein 5g

* Percent Daily Value are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
** Nutrition Facts are estimated based on ingredients and data provided by Fat Secret. Please consult a doctor if you have special dietary needs.
Urvashee Patel

About Urvashee

Urvashee blogs about delectable desserts on her blog, Dessarts. Lucky for us, she's sharing her delectable vegetarian dishes too as a Vegetarian Fanatic.

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