The perfect Summer Quinoa Salad made with a delicious combination of sautéed veggies, black beans, corn, and fresh basil all tossed with a lemon balsamic dressing!
Oh how I LOVE a good summer salad and this one has all your favorite components! I actually came up with this salad 8 years ago while on a beach trip with my girlfriends. It was nearing the end of the week and we had all these leftover veggies that needed to be used up so I threw them all in this big salad and it was absolutely delicious! While this salad is meant to be served cold, it also tastes great warm right after making it so feel free to serve this either way you prefer. The perfect summer side dish to pretty much any grilling recipe or enjoy it all on its own as a main dish. The fresh lemons and basil really brighten up this salad and the sautéed veggies add tons of flavor!
Here’s what you’ll need
- quinoa – perfectly fluffy quinoa simmered in vegetable broth for extra flavor! Any type of quinoa will work in this recipe and couscous would also be a great substitute.
- veggies – I used a mixture of colorful mini sweet peppers, red onion, broccoli and corn in this, but feel free to use whatever vegetables you have on hand. Bell peppers, squash, asparagus are all delicious options that would taste great in this salad.
- black beans – a great way to add even more protein and fiber while also making this dish even more filling.
- lemons – these brighten this salad right up and add such a delicious fresh taste!
- balsamic vinegar – make sure to use a good, high quality balsamic vinegar to get the best flavor.
- olive oil – I like to use a good olive oil that doesn’t have to be expensive, just make sure it’s cold-pressed and organic for the most flavor.
- honey – this adds a touch of sweetness that I think tastes incredible in this salad. If you’re vegan, feel free to use maple syrup in place of the honey.
- fresh basil – this is a MUST and gives this salad such a fresh taste! You could also use cilantro with these flavors to switch things up a bit or even parsley in place of the basil.
- seasonings – kosher salt, ground black pepper and a pinch of red pepper flakes for a little spice.
How to Make Summer Quinoa Salad
This bright and refreshing salad is super easy to throw together! It makes a TON too so this quinoa salad is really great for your weekly meal prep.
- Cook quinoa. Follow my fool-proof method for cooking quinoa (boiling it in veggie or chicken broth adds SO much flavor) for perfectly fluffy quinoa that tastes amazing in this salad. You can also cook the quinoa ahead of time or simply use leftover quinoa that you already have on hand.
- Sauté veggies. Chop up the peppers, red onion and broccoli and sauté in a large skillet with a little olive oil until softened and onions are translucent. This really brings out the best flavor!
- Make dressing. While the quinoa cools and veggies are sautéing, whisk together lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, honey, red pepper flakes and salt/pepper.
- Toss together! In a large bowl, mix together quinoa, veggies, black beans, corn, basil and dressing. Season with additional seasonings, as needed.
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Prepping and Storage
This salad can be served warm, but tastes best chilled in my opinion! Cover and store in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before serving and this salad will also last up to 4 to 5 days in a sealed, airtight container in the fridge.
More Quinoa Recipes
- Roasted Sweet Potato, Quinoa & Kale Salad
- Coconut Lime Cilantro Quinoa
- Cheesy Broccoli Quinoa Bites
- Sweet Potato & Black Bean Quinoa Bake
- Cheesy Caprese Chicken & Quinoa Casserole
Hope you all enjoy this Summer Quinoa Salad and if you love this as much as we do, please leave me ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ below and don’t forget to tag me on Instagram using the hashtag #eatyourselfskinny! I love seeing all your delicious recreations!
Summer Quinoa Salad
Ingredients
- 1 cup uncooked quinoa
- 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth, or chicken broth
- 1 red onion, chopped
- 7-8 mini sweet peppers, seeded and chopped
- 1 cup broccoli florets, trimmed
- 1 cup corn, fresh or frozen
- 1 (15 oz) can black beans, rinse
- Handful fresh basil, chopped
For the Lemon Balsamic Dressing:
- Juice of 2 lemons
- 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 Tbsp honey, or maple syrup
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- Pinch of red pepper flakes
Instructions
- To make quinoa, rinse and soak for about 10 minutes in warm water. Bring 1 1/2 cups of vegetable broth to a boil in a small saucepan, drain quinoa and add to boiling broth. Cover and reduce heat to a simmer, cooking for about 15 minutes. Turn heat off (still covered) and allow quinoa to sit for 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork. Allow quinoa to cool before adding in the rest of the salad (you can also make this a day ahead).
- Meanwhile in a large skillet, drizzle olive oil and sauté onion, sweet peppers and broccoli until onion is translucent and peppers are soft, about 5 minutes. Add mixture to cooled quinoa then add corn and black beans, mixing well.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, honey, olive oil, red pepper flakes and salt/pepper. Drizzle over salad and toss well. Once salad is coated, mix in the fresh basil and serve immediately while warm or cover and let chill in the fridge for at least an hour to let the flavors marinate. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I just made this recipe last night, and it ended up being super sweet. I did hesitate in adding the Stevie to the dressing but used it anyways. Has anyone tried it without the sweetener? Everything else was delish!
Yummy! Made a batch of this last night for my lunch today (and a few other days). Had a triple portion (1 1/2 cups) since it WAS lunch (along with half a mango). No Stevia, so used a very small pinch (about 1/8 tsp) of sugar and no fresh basil so used a small pinch of dried to add to dressing. Probably omit next time. Love it! Thanks for super delicious recipe!
Yummy! Made a batch of this last night for lunch. Had 1 1/2 cup serving since it was my lunch along with half a mango. Super delicious. Left out the Stevia (don’t use it) and used a very small pinch of sugar. I like lemon, so didn’t need to sweeten it too much. No fresh basil, so just used a pinch of dried for some extra flavor in the dressing, but could have omitted it. Might omit next time. Thanks for a FAB recipe!
How delicious, gotta pin this one!
Looks delicious!!! : )
Just made this, it’s B-E-A-U-tiful, not to mention tasty, and I haven’t even let it sit in the fridge yet! Can’t wait to taste tomorrow, it’ll be a hit at our cookout!
I love your blog! It’s so cute and your posts are very inspirational. I can’t wait to try this quinoa salad! I’ve been way into quinoa lately. I’ve had it for lunch everyday but I was looking for a new recipe. This is great! I listed you as one of “My Favorite Blogs” on my new blog http://sunnysideupsmile.com. Check it out if you get a chance! 🙂
wow this looks plain delicious! plus it’s super pretty too, i love pretty food 😉
Amazing! I really wish I was having this for lunch!
obsessed with quinoa and this salad looks so refreshingly delicious! definitely trying this next BBQ we go to!!!