Rainbow Quinoa Salad
This Rainbow Quinoa Salad is one of the first original recipes I created many years ago. I’ve made this for potlucks, family get-togethers and even music festivals where my group is camping for several days and we bring our food in a cooler, and it’s always a hit!
It consists of quinoa of course, with many fresh, vibrant vegetables, blueberries (I promise they’re so good in this!), and red wine vinegar, lemon juice, paprika and salt. The funny thing about this salad, is although it’s one of my most popular and beloved recipes, it’s often met with mixed feelings, especially from meat eaters, before they try it. Once the skeptical party does try it, they’re often coming back for seconds and thirds, and when I brought it into the office years ago when I worked at a law firm, my boss even asked me for the recipe!
Don’t get me wrong, many people take one look at this salad and cannot wait to try it. But even the people who are skeptical end up loving it, too, and it always ends up getting devoured by everyone!
Store this salad in the refrigerator and serve chilled, it’s even better on day two when the flavors have gotten a chance to come together. And don’t worry, it actually stays fresh-tasting for several days! I love scooping this onto a bed of lettuce, and having it for a quick lunch with a dollop of hummus. Do not underestimate the exquisite combination that is this Rainbow Quinoa Salad with hummus!
Quinoa: Quinoa adds a distinct but subtle nutty flavor. It’s the base of this salad and soaks up all of the flavor from the vegetables, red wine vinegar and lemon juice, enhancing the overall taste and amplifying the flavor.
Cucumber: The cucumber adds a firm crunch and also ups the overall water content of this salad to make it extra refreshing. This, along with the added kale, helps contribute to your servings of green veggies for the day.
Bell Pepper: You can choose any color of bell pepper you want, however I like using yellow or orange, not only to add to the rainbow of various colors in this salad, but because green peppers are more bitter and less sweet. Green bell peppers are often used in cooking, whereas red, orange and yellow bell peppers are more appropriate for fresh salads.
Tomatoes: The tomatoes add a beautiful, bright red color to this Rainbow Quinoa Salad, but it also provides ample moisture. I’ve found that the tomatoes in this are most enjoyable when you use firm, not overly ripe tomatoes, and make this salad the night before you serve it. The other ingredients soak up the tomato flavor and juices while still allowing everything to taste fresh.
Kale Leaves: Be sure to tear your kales leaves in small enough pieces that they’re not difficult or troublesome to chew. You can massage the kale leaves in olive oil and/or lemon juice beforehand, but I don’t find it necessary in this dish.
Onions: Red onions are often used in salads, but for this one I recommend white or yellow onions. They have a more subtle flavor, and when you’re consuming fresh onions, they’re plenty flavorful without having to go with the intensity that red onions bring.
Garlic Cloves: The garlic cloves will be uncooked in this recipe, as well, so you want to make sure that you do mince them as finely as you can. If you like a lot of garlic, you may want to have extra on the side to add in if you choose, after you’ve mixed the salad together and tasted it for yourself.
Blueberries: The blueberries give it an unexpected sweetness that complements the many other flavors so well, you don’t want to skip those. Use fresh blueberries rather than frozen, and make sure all of the little stems are removed!
Red Wine Vinegar: Red wine vinegar complements this recipe so well! Do not feel the need to skimp on this, I pour it in liberally and always end up adding more than I think I’ll need. I haven’t tried this recipe with other types of vinegars but you’re welcome to experiment; balsamic vinegar would probably be a wonderful replacement!
Lemon Juice: Fresh lemon juice not only adds a sharp, tart, citrus flavor, but it actually helps preserve the salad, too. Because of the lemon juice, this salad will stay fresh for several days in the refrigerator.
Sea Salt: You may end up adding more salt than you think you’ll need. In whole food plant based recipes like these, even adding a couple teaspoons of salt is not going to ruin a healthy streak! The measurements below make a large batch of several servings, and also, those who have too much sodium in their diets are often consuming an excess of processed foods, which are typically much higher in sodium than virtually any recipe you’ll be making at home.
Paprika: A surprisingly tasteful addition, paprika adds a slight smokiness and will also change the coloring a bit, along with the red wine vinegar.
Ingredients
1 C quinoa, measured uncooked
1 cucumber
1 bell pepper
3 tomatoes
3 large kale leaves, or 6 smaller leaves
¼ onion
2 garlic cloves
1 C blueberries
¼ C red wine vinegar
Juice of 1 lemon
1 T sea salt
1 tsp paprika
Instructions
1. Bring quinoa to a boil with 1¾ C water. Then, reduce the heat to low, cover and allow to simmer for 15 minutes or until the quinoa is soft and fully cooked. Fluff with a fork, then transfer the quinoa to a large mixing bowl and keep in the refrigerator to cool while preparing the rest of the ingredients.
2. Finely dice the cucumber, onions and tomatoes, cut the bell pepper into thin slices, mince the garlic cloves and place in a large bowl together.
3. Rinse and then tear the kale into small pieces and add to the bowl with the vegetables.
4. Once the quinoa is cooled, combine with the bowl of vegetables. Then add the blueberries, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, sea salt and paprika to the mixing bowl with the quinoa. Stir well to combine, taste test and adjust any seasoning if necessary.
Stefanie is the founder of Life, Veganized, and a passionate vegan and animal advocate. She creates vegan recipes for all palates and resides in Los Angeles with her adorable puggle, Zeus.
