Quinoa Salad Recipe | Primavera Kitchen (2024)

This quinoa salad is so yummy, healthy and even gluten free! It has everything you want including nutritious veggies, black beans, hearty grain and filling protein. Top everything with a simple, tasty, homemade citrus dressing made with lemon juice.

This wholesome easy quinoa salad is quick, easy and really versatile! I absolutely love making it as a cookout side or light dinner, and it’s also really fabulous for meal prep. Just store your salad in a little airtight container for the perfect grab-and-go lunch.

Now I love making this quinoa salad recipe with Air Fryer Sausage, but you can totally use whatever protein your heart desires. You can even substitute tofu or leave the meat out all-together to create a vegan recipe! The options are seriously endless.

Swap your sausage for Air Fryer Salmon or Air Fryer Chicken Breast. If you’re not feeling the air-fryer, grill up some Cajun Shrimp Skewers or Cajun Chicken. You could even whip up some of these Garlic Butter Steak Bites on the stovetop!

Ingredients To Make Quinoa Salad

• Italian sausages — Sweet, mild or hot. Pick your favorite kind!
• Quinoa — I generally use white quinoa, but you can use any color. Cooking quinoa is pretty simple, but if you want some extra tips check out my guide: How To Make Fluffy Quinoa!
• Black beans — Delicious, velvety and full of fiber.
• Veggies — Red onion, red bell pepper and cucumber are my go-to vegetables for this recipe, but you can absolutely mix things up and use what you’ve got on hand.
• Dressing ingredients — I use fresh lemon juice (lime juice works too), extra virgin olive oil, salt and black pepper.
• Garnish — Fresh herbs are great here. Fresh cilantro, mint or parsley are an optional garnish for this salad, it’s great for extra flavor and color!

Instructions to make Quinoa Salad

Air fry sausages:

• If your air fryer requires preheating, do that before anything else! Set it to 375°F (190°C).
• Use a paper towel and pat sausages down to soak up excess moisture, then pierce each one a few times with a fork so steam can escape while they cook.
• Air fry for about 15 minutes and flip halfway through! Sausages are done once they reach an internal temperature of 160°F or 71°C.

Cook quinoa

• Add 2 cups of water to a medium saucepan, place on the stovetop and turn heat to high. While you wait for water to boil, rinse quinoa well using a mesh strainer.
• Next, reduce heat to low and stir in rinsed quinoa. Cover with a lid and simmer 10-15 minutes. (*Tip: multitask and use simmer time to dice up salad veggies if you haven’t already)!
• Remove saucepan from heat and grab a fork. Fluff cooked quinoa and then be sure to let it cool for at least 5 minutes.

Prepare dressing:

• Add all lemon dressing ingredients to a mason jar, preferably one with a screw top. Secure the lid atop your jar and shake until ingredients are combined! If you don’t have a lidded jar, you can also use a whisk to combine.

Assemble and serve:

• Now get a big salad bowl and add cooked quinoa, diced veggies, and black beans. Stir well, drizzle with dressing and toss again.
• Slice up your sausages and place them on top of the quinoa salad. Garnish with parsley, if desired, and enjoy!

How To Meal Prep Quinoa Recipe

This quinoa salad is really great for meal prep! Simply portion it evenly into airtight containers and top with sliced sausage.

It’s a hearty and satisfying lunch that will keep you full.

You can even bring a little bit of extra salad dressing on the side for extra flavorful goodness. Want another similar and delicious meal prep idea? Be sure to try my Chicken Couscous Salad!

When I’m tired of sandwiches, I really appreciate having a fresh quinoa salad recipe at the office. It definitely adds happiness to the day when I’ve packed something I’m really excited to eat.

How To Store Leftovers

• To Store: Portion leftovers evenly into airtight containers and store in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
• To Freeze: This quinoa salad also freezes well for up to 3 months. The veggies won’t be as crisp once thawed, but everything else (sausage, quinoa, beans) will hold texture and quality. Simply thaw in the refrigerator overnight before eating!
• To Reheat: You don’t really need to reheat this recipe, I actually prefer eating it chilled. You can pop it in the microwave for 30 seconds or so if you want to warm it up. You can also just remove sausage from the top and heat it solo before returning it to the salad.

What pairs well with quinoa salad?

Grilled Chicken: Serve your couscous salad withgrilled chicken thighs,grilled chicken wingsorgrilled chicken breastfor a protein-rich and satisfying meal.

Roasted Vegetables: Roasted vegetables like roasted asparagus, roasted potatoes, roasted green beans, roasted sweet potato or roasted brussels sprouts can enhance the flavors and textures in your salad.

Soft Bread or Rolls: Offer soft garlic bread or dinner rolls for a complete and satisfying meal.

Change the protein to delicious baked salmon, cod recipe or garlic butter shrimp.

D

More Quinoa Salad Recipes

Quinoa is a very popular grain and for good reason! This gluten free super-seed comes in many pretty colors and it’s very nutritious. It’s certainly a great ingredient to include in your healthy diet. If you want to make more healthy quinoa salad recipes, I have tons to share with you!

Frequently Asked Questions

Watch Quinoa Salad Web Story here.

If you like this quinoa salad recipe, please share with your friends and family. Do you want to taste more? Subscribe to my newsletter and follow Primavera Kitchen on Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, and Facebook for all delicious recipes updates. As always, I really appreciate you stopping by.