There’s nothing like a good quinoa salad… it’s filling, refreshing, and makes you feel awesome knowing the goodness you just put in your body.
Quinoa (pronounced keen-wa) cooks like a grain, but botanically it’s not actually a cereal grass like wheat or barley or oats. It’s technically a seed, and often called a pseudo-grain.
Why is quinoa so healthy? Well, for vegans and vegetarians it’s always held up as the poster child for getting all the essential amino acids in the proper proportions (aka it’s a complete protein). Not that we need to get all the amino acids in one food, or worry about protein combining in one meal, but it never hurts.
But the benefits of quinoa go beyond protein. It’s full of the B vitamins, especially B6, folate, thiamine and riboflavin.
It’s also packed with minerals. 1 cup of cooked quinoa gives you 15% of your daily recommended intake of iron, 30% of your magnesium, and 58% of your manganese.
Data on quinoa from NutritionData.com and Superfoods: The Healthiest Foods On The Planet, by Tonia Reinhard.
There are a ton of ways to use quinoa in recipes, but one of my favorites is to make it in a variety of quinoa salads. Here are some of my top picks:
- Quinoa Spring Salad: So many amazing veggies come together, along with fresh herbs and a great vinaigrette, for a perfect spring meal.
- Quinoa Tabbouleh Salad: Zesty and refreshing, this is a great way to use some fresh parsley.
- Blueberry, Kale and Quinoa Salad With Blueberry Vinaigrette: Amazing flavor and texture combinations in this salad, topped with a gorgeous blueberry vinaigrette.
- Summer Fruity Quinoa: Fruity and zesty with a tiny spicy kick – perfect for a summer pot luck to show everyone how amazing quinoa salad can be.
- Nutty Quinoa And Cherry Salad: Great as part of a holiday meal, but equally good any night of the year.
- Watermelon Mint Quinoa Salad: An amazing summer salad!
- Southwestern Quinoa Salad: You can’t go wrong with lime, cumin and cilantro…
- International Quinoa Salad: Lots of great flavors and veggies – including avocado. Quinoa + avocado = awesome…
- Quinoa Salad With Roasted Beets, Chickpeas And Orange: A little sweet, a little savory, super delicious and healthy!
- Mango Quinoa Salad: I love mango in anything, but the dressing for this salad sounds amazing…
Image Credit: Heather Nauta, Healthy Vegan Recipes
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My all-time favorite grain (or pseudo grain, that is!). So many great ideas here. . . thanks, Heather!
aw, thanks Ricki, I’m totally in love with your idea to use blueberries in the salad dressing!
These are great quinoa salad ideas. I love the combination of quinoa with pine nuts.
you can never have too many ideas for quinoa salads, right?
my only problem is that I want to eat ALL of them, right NOW!