Lemon Quinoa Salad Recipe (Vegan, Gluten Free Side Dishes)

This lemon quinoa salad recipe is packed with fresh vegetables and herbs in a simple lemon vinaigrette! It’s simple, delicious, and loaded with fresh ingredients.

This lemony quinoa salad is perfect for a summer pot puck, BBQ side dish, or an easy plant-based meal prep recipe. This recipe is vegan, vegetarian, gluten free, and SO delicious. It’s a fantastic salad for everyone at your table.

This Lemon Quinoa Salad Recipe Is:

• Fresh
• Bright
• Citrusy
• Earthy
• Packed with fresh produce
• Versatile
• Vegan, Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Refined Sugar Free
• A great recipe for vegan meal prep

The Perfect Vegetarian Summer Side Dish Recipe

This lemon quinoa salad couldn’t be easier to make! Just add cooked quinoa, veggies of your choice, some fresh herbs, and whip up a 5 minute lemon dressing. And lunch or dinner is served! This is a great salad to bring to a end-of-season potluck, it’s a total crowd pleaser. One of my favorite vegan or vegetarian side dishes, and something everyone at the table will love.  And you can make it ahead of time.  Prepare the salad the day before the party, cover and refrigerate for a day.  Before serving, toss with a little extra lemon juice and olive oil, and you’re all set.

What’s In This Lemon Quinoa Salad?

• Quinoa: I used this fantastic white quinoa, but you can use red or multicolored. You can cook quinoa on the stove top, in the Instant Pot (my preferred method), in the rice cooker.   This quinoa is a fantastic addition to salads, soups, or wraps… a healthy plant-based protein you can feel good about eating.
• Parsley
• Tomatoes
• Cucumber
• Lemon
• Olive Oil: I like to use this delicious Zoe olive oil which has a fantastic flavor and deep color- it’s really inexpensive online here, so I keep a few liters stocked up in my pantry.  For the quality of oil you get, it’s an excellent value, I would highly recommend!
• Dijon Mustard
• Garlic
• Tellicherry Black Pepper: Like the salt, it’s amazing the flavor difference you can get with really good tellicherry black pepper.  This pepper is the same price is buying pre-ground, and has a million times more flavor!  I use these really great tellicherry peppercorns, which I would definitely recommend. 
• Pink Himalayan Sea Salt: I like to use a pink Himalayan Sea Salt in my kitchen, which has more natural minerals than plain processed table salt.  It’s fairly inexpensive, so I’d recommend this salt if you’re looking for an easy way to level up your spice pantry.

How Do I Make This Quinoa Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette?

Make Ahead Quinoa Salad for Entertaining

This lemony quinoa salad is a fantastic and simple recipe to make ahead. Great for a busy weeknight, for entertaining, or just for those nights when you don’t feel like cooking.  I like to prep this salad of these ahead of time, and save it in the fridge for later.  Having ready cooked meals in the fridge is a great way to enjoy home cooked meals when you don’t have time in the kitchen.  Check out all my make ahead meals on The Herbeevore for some inso to help you prep, keep, and eat!

Other Simple High Protein Salads You’ll Love:

Simple Lemon Quinoa Salad (Vegan, Gluten Free)

The Herbeevore

This healthy lemon quinoa salad is packed with fresh vegetables and herbs in a simple lemon vinaigrette! Easy to make, and ready in 10 minutes.  Vegan, vegetarian, gluten free, and plant based a great summer side dish for entertaining, potlucks, or BBQs!

5 from 12 votes

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 10 minutes mins

Course Appetizer, Salad

Cuisine American, Mediterranean

Servings 6 servings

Calories 290 kcal

Ingredients

  

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For the Salad

• 4 cups cooked quinoa *see video below for how to cook quinoa in a rice cooker.
• 1 cucumber diced
• 1 cup chopped tomatoes
• 1 cup cooked chickpeas drained and rinsed
• 1 cup fresh parsley

For the Dressing

• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 3 lemons juiced (about 1/3 cup lemon juice)
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard or whole grain
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground Tellicherry Black Pepper
• 2 cloves garlic pressed or finely minced

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Instructions

 

• In a large bowl, combine cooked quinoa, chopped cucumber, chickpeas, tomatoes, and parsley.  Toss well to combine.
• In a mason jar, add all the dressing ingredients: olive oil, fresh lemon juice, mustard, garlic salt, and garlic.  Seal with an air right lid and shake well to combine.
• Pour dressing over the salad, and toss well.  Taste and adjust seasoning as needed, adding more salt and pepper if desired.

Video

Notes

Save Money on Fresh Produce!

I get all the fresh produce for my recipes from my garden and from Misfits Market - they sell all organic produce at a super discounted price, and it’s purchased direct from the farmers. We get Misfit Market boxes every week or so and love picking out our favorite seasonal produce for delivery.  You can get $10 off your first $30 box by clicking here! 

If you think organic produce is too expensive... think again, and give Misfits Market a look!shed avocado worked wonders!

Nutrition

Calories: 290kcalCarbohydrates: 35gProtein: 7gFat: 15gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 10gSodium: 199mgPotassium: 494mgFiber: 6gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 946IUVitamin C: 48mgCalcium: 72mgIron: 3mg

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