Easy Crunchy Vegetable Quinoa Salad in 10 Minutes (+Video)

This easy crunchy vegetable quinoa salad is the perfect meal to clean out your fridge! Combine quinoa and veggies with my amazing Thai peanut sauce for a delicious, filling meal that will have you going back for seconds.

Do you ever stand in front of your fridge and feel like there’s nothing to eat?

I sure do. And having a few back-pocket meals in place like Maple-Glazed Pork Chops or Instant Pot Honey Garlic Chicken or Slow Cooker Beef Ragu or even Kung Pao Chicken with a bag of frozen vegetables is super handy.

But when it’s hot out, I like to have colder food. (Similar to how we gravitate towards soups and stews in the winter!)

Now that I found a way to make quinoa that I actually like, I’m declaring this crunchy vegetable quinoa salad as back-pocket-worthy for warm weather!

I admit that you usually don’t hear “quinoa” and “salad” together in the recipe name. Or even in the same sentence.

I mean, how often do you hear “rice salad” and think good, yummy thoughts?

Not so much.

So let me explain what exactly healthy quinoa salad is.

WHAT IS QUINOA SALAD?

Quinoa salad is a meal where quinoa is one of the main ingredients. It’s definitely not the only ingredient, and it may or may not be served on a bed of lettuce. There are plenty of veggies involved, and it also has a sauce that is PACKED with flavor.

This particular crunchy vegetable quinoa salad doesn’t include lettuce, but it still has plenty of fresh produce! It’s served in a bowl and drizzled with my BFF sauce, Thai peanut sauce.

Friends, if you haven’t tried my Thai Peanut Sauce yet, you are missing out!

WHY YOU SHOULD MAKE THIS CRUNCHY VEGETABLE QUINOA SALAD RECIPE

Aside from the fact that it TASTES GOOD, here’s why I think you should put this quinoa salad recipe on your meal plan ASAP:

IT CAN BE MADE AHEAD OF TIME.

Seriously, nothing calls my name more than a dinner that’s already done for me. You can totally pull this off with my favorite quinoa salad, too. Just keep the quinoa, vegetables, and sauce all separate. If you want some meal prep for lunches, dish some of the quinoa and veggie mixture out BEFORE you dress the salad with the sauce and pack the sauce separately.

IT’S WORTHY TO BE CALLED A MEAL.

You know how some salads are kind of wimpy? They sound good, but you rummage through the pantry because you feel like you ate a few bites of lettuce and you’re still hungry?

That’s not this salad. This quinoa salad will FILL YOU UP. It’s a great side dish, but honestly, it’s a perfect meal too! Plus, the recipe as written makes a lot, so feel free to enjoy seconds!

IT’S A PERFECT END-OF-THE-WEEK “USE IT UP” MEAL.

When you need a meal to use up all the randomness going on in your refrigerator before you can go shopping again, this is your go-to salad. Minestrone Soup is a good option too (with a side of No-Knead Artisan Bread – YUM!), but going back to the whole weather thing, I prefer cold food when it’s hot outside.

This quinoa salad recipe is also vegan, dairy-free, and gluten-free as written, making it the perfect allergy-friendly dish to share with friends!

CRUNCHY VEGETABLE QUINOA SALAD INGREDIENTS

Now that we’re on the same page regarding quinoa salads, let’s talk about what makes this particular quinoa salad recipe worthy of “back pocket” status…

YOU START WITH QUINOA.

This may be a no-brainer, but you’re starting with an incredibly healthy grain. Quinoa is naturally gluten free, high in protein, and easy to find at the average grocery store.

It’s also SUPER FAST to make – it takes just one minute in the Instant Pot!

What’s even faster though, is making a massive batch and freezing the cooked quinoa. Then you can make this crunchy vegetable quinoa salad recipe without actually cooking anything!

YOU ADD WHATEVER CRUNCHY VEGETABLES (AND FRUITS!) YOU HAVE.

Obviously, I gave you a starting point with the recipe below, but I’ve made this crunchy vegetable quinoa salad dozens of times and it’s never been the same thing twice.

Why?

Because I tailor it to work with whatever I have on hand at the time.

Out of bell pepper but have zucchini? Do it.

Out of cucumber but have kale or cabbage? Do it.

No carrots but have broccoli? Do it!

Basically, you do you. The only guideline I’m going to give you here is that make sure that A) you actually like the vegetables you put in the salad and B) the vegetables are crunchy. When you toss all these things together in one big bowl, you don’t want any soft vegetables, like avocado or cooked squash, to get muddled up in the process.

Some of our favorites include cherry tomatoes, red onion, bell peppers, kalamata olives, and fresh basil or fresh herbs.

WHIP UP A BATCH OF THAI PEANUT SAUCE.

What makes a good quinoa salad dressing? Something with a big punch of flavor. And for me, that means Thai Peanut Sauce.

You guys, this sauce is goooood. So good. You’ll be putting Thai veggie quinoa bowls on your menu plan every week just to have more!

It’s super adaptable too with whatever pantry staples you have. If you don’t have peanut butter, use almond butter. Use a different vinegar and skip the sugar and substitute lemon juice for lime… whatever. Do what you have to do to MAKE THIS SAUCE HAPPEN. I promise you won’t regret it.

Note: I love using mason jars for homemade dressing and these lids make it super easy to shake and pour!

SPRINKLE SOMETHING EXTRA.

This last step is entirely optional, but we like to sprinkle peanuts on top to make this a quinoa crunch salad, just because we can.

My husband has sprinkled cashews before, and I did pepitas (hulled pumpkin seeds) one time too. Sunflower seeds, walnuts, pecans…the pantry is the limit here guys – use what you have!

You could also add crumbled feta cheese on top for an extra bit of flavor and creaminess. Or sliced green onions or red pepper flakes for a kick!

THE MEAT IS OPTIONAL.

We usually leave the meat off of this quinoa salad to keep our grocery budget in check (so we can afford grass-fed and pastured meat from Butcher Box!), but you can definitely add meat if you want to.

Shredded chicken (cooked in the slow cooker OR in the Instant Pot OR roasted in the oven) or cut-up smoked sausage or even steamed shrimp would all be really good in this quinoa salad!

If you want to bulk up the quinoa salad without adding meat, try adding chickpeas or black beans instead!

HOW TO MAKE EASY QUINOA SALAD RECIPES

Making quinoa salad recipes is as easy as chopping your ingredients and mixing everything together!

Step 1. Chop all of the vegetables as necessary. Combine the quinoa and vegetables in a large bowl and toss together well so everything is evenly distributed.

Step 2. Pour about half of the sauce over the salad and toss again very well.

Step 3. Taste, adding more sauce if desired. Or a little salt and ground black pepper. Sprinkle with peanuts and cilantro and serve.

You can store leftover quinoa salad recipes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, but the veggies will soften over time if everything is mixed with the sauce. If you know you’re going to have leftovers, I suggest separating some of the quinoa salad before adding the dressing and mixing it together just before serving.

EASY QUINOA SALADS IDEAS FAQS

MORE QUINOA RECIPES

Looking for more easy meals with quinoa? Try these delicious quinoa recipes!

WATCH HOW TO MAKE CRUNCHY VEGETABLE QUINOA SALAD