Spring Vegetable Quinoa Salad (Printable)

Fluffy quinoa meets crisp spring vegetables in a zesty lemon-herb dressing

# What You'll Need:

→ Quinoa Base

01 - 1 cup quinoa
02 - 2 cups water
03 - ½ teaspoon salt

→ Fresh Vegetables

04 - 1 cup sugar snap peas, trimmed and halved
05 - 1 cup asparagus, cut into 1-inch pieces
06 - 1 cup radishes, thinly sliced
07 - ½ cup cherry tomatoes, halved
08 - ½ cup shelled fresh or frozen peas
09 - ¼ cup red onion, finely diced

→ Herbs and Toppings

10 - ¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
11 - 2 tablespoons fresh mint, chopped
12 - 2 tablespoons chives, finely sliced
13 - ¼ cup crumbled feta cheese (optional)

→ Lemon-Herb Vinaigrette

14 - 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
15 - 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
16 - 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
17 - 1 teaspoon honey or maple syrup
18 - 1 garlic clove, minced
19 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

# How to Make It:

01 - Rinse quinoa thoroughly under cold running water until water runs clear. Combine quinoa, water, and salt in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to low, cover tightly, and simmer for 15 minutes until water is absorbed. Remove from heat and let stand covered for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and spread on a large baking sheet to cool completely.
02 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Add asparagus pieces, sugar snap peas, and peas. Blanch for exactly 2 minutes until vegetables are bright green and just tender-crisp. Drain immediately and transfer to an ice water bath to halt cooking. Drain thoroughly and pat dry with clean towels.
03 - In a large mixing bowl, add the cooled quinoa, blanched vegetables, sliced radishes, halved cherry tomatoes, diced red onion, chopped parsley, mint, and chives. Toss gently to distribute ingredients evenly.
04 - In a small bowl or jar, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, honey, minced garlic, salt, and black pepper. Whisk vigorously until fully emulsified and thickened, about 30 seconds.
05 - Pour the vinaigrette over the salad mixture and toss gently until all ingredients are evenly coated. Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper if needed. Transfer to a serving platter, sprinkle with crumbled feta if using, and serve immediately or refrigerate for up to 2 hours before serving.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The combination of crisp vegetables and fluffy quinoa creates the most satisfying texture
  • It gets even better after sitting for an hour, letting all those bright flavors mingle together
  • One bowl tastes like a farmers market found its way onto your fork
02 -
  • Cooling the quinoa completely before mixing prevents warm grains from softening crisp vegetables
  • The ice water bath after blanching is what keeps vegetables bright green and snappy
  • Letting the salad rest for 30 minutes before serving lets flavors develop beautifully
03 -
  • Toasting quinoa in a dry pan for 2 minutes before cooking adds a wonderfully nutty depth
  • Massaging the kale with a little olive oil first makes it tender if using as a base

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