Filled with oodles of fresh veggies, protein packed quinoa and a delicious lemon vinaigrette, this crunchy summer veggie quinoa salad is perfect for warm weather! Healthy, easy and delicious, it’s dairy free, gluten free and vegetarian.

This post is sponsored by Bob’s Red Mill.

It’s time to talk easy, breezy, summer-y foods! And this crunchy summer veggie quinoa salad is first on deck.

Because my goodness, it is packed to the brim with oodles of fresh produce.

We have juicy cherry tomatoes, crunchy cucumber, sweet sliced carrots, colorful bell pepper, TWO kinds of fresh herbs (!!). I mean really, the summer garden produce gang is most definitely all here.

We toss those gorgeous fresh veggies with some protein-filled quinoa, a finger licking good honey dijon lemon vinaigrette and then we are off to the races.

It’s healthy, it’s super easy and it just totally screams summer.

How To Enjoy This Summer Quinoa Salad

• Make it for dinner and serve alongside your favorite protein or any grilling favorite.
• Whip together on the weekend and pack up for light lunches during the workweek.
• Finally? Bring it to just about any summer potluck, party or gathering. It can absolutely be made in advance and is delicious served warm, at room temp or even cold. Triple threat for the win right here.

It’s lovely & light summer food at its finest, if I do say so myself.

So now that we’ve talked about all that fresh produce, let’s turn our attention to the quinoa. This powerhouse pseudo-grain is a complete staple in my kitchen. It’s gluten free, a good source of protein + fiber and cooks up in just about 15 to 20 minutes. Score.

And while I’ve tried many a brand over the years, it probably comes as no surprise that Bob’s Red Mill Organic Quinoa is my favorite. It cooks up to the perfect texture each and every time – no mush involved. And I also greatly appreciate their commitment to quality – so I can feel good about what I’m putting into my body.

But what I really dig is that their quinoa is already rinsed – saving us a step in the process! {And yes, rinsing quinoa is important – it removes any bitter or almost soapy flavor, thus improving the taste!}

Tips & Tricks For This Crunchy Summer Veggie Quinoa Salad

1. I’ve listed the amounts of the veggies in cups down below so that you use what I think is the perfect amount. But here’s an idea of what to buy to get you those quantities. About 1 pint cherry tomatoes, about 1 medium cucumber, about 2 to 3 medium carrots, about 1 medium large bell pepper and about 1 medium bunch of green onions.
2. To make this recipe vegan, simply use pure maple syrup in place of the honey.
3. Let’s talk about how to prep this dish. Get the quinoa going on the stovetop first, and then use the cook time to start prepping all the veggies and dressing. This will save you some overall recipe time.
4. And finally, if enjoying this for lunch, I’d highly suggest serving with some sliced avocado over the top. SO GOOD.

Additional Quinoa Salad Recipes You Might Enjoy!

• Blueberry Quinoa Salad
• Cranberry Quinoa Salad
• Fall Quinoa Salad
• Crunchy Broccoli Quinoa Salad
• Kale and Quinoa Rainbow Salad
• Cucumber Quinoa Salad
• Strawberry Quinoa Salad

Did you make this recipe? Rate and review it down below! I’d love to hear from you.

Continue to Content

Crunchy Summer Veggie Quinoa Salad

Yield: about 6 to 8 servings, as a side

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

Filled with oodles of fresh veggies, protein packed quinoa and a delicious lemon vinaigrette, this crunchy summer veggie quinoa salad is perfect for warm weather! Healthy, easy and delicious, it’s dairy free, gluten free and vegetarian.

Print

Ingredients

For the salad:

• 2 cups water
• 1 cup uncooked Bob’s Red Mill Organic Quinoa
• 1 ½ cups halved cherry tomatoes
• 1 cup peeled and chopped cucumber
• 1 cup peeled and sliced carrot
• 1 cup chopped bell pepper (any color)
• ½ cup thinly sliced green onion
• ¼ cup chopped fresh basil
• ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
• ½ cup roughly chopped raw almonds

For the dressing:

• ¼ cup olive oil
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon honey*
• 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
• pinch of pepper

Instructions

For the salad:

1. Bring the water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Stir in the quinoa, then return to a boil. Cover, reduce the heat and let simmer for about 12 to 15 minutes, until the liquid is absorbed.
2. Turn off the heat and let sit covered for 5 minutes, then fluff the quinoa with a fork. Transfer the quinoa to a large bowl and let cool for about 15 minutes.
3. To the bowl with the cooled quinoa, add the tomatoes, cucumber, carrot, bell pepper, green onion, basil, parsley and almonds. Toss to combine.

For the dressing:

1. Add all the ingredients for the dressing to a small bowl and whisk vigorously to combine. Pour into the bowl with the quinoa and toss again to combine.
2. Taste and season with salt and pepper as desired (I usually add a bit more of both!).

Notes

*To make this vegan - use maple syrup in place of the honey.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 159Total Fat: 11gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 203mgCarbohydrates: 14gFiber: 3gSugar: 5gProtein: 3g

Nutrition data shown is an estimate provided by an online calculator and is for informational purposes only. It should not be considered a substitute for a medical professional’s advice.

This post is sponsored by Bob’s Red Mill. I received compensation + product for writing this post, however all opinions and content are completely my own. As always, thank you for reading and letting me share brands that I truly love!