A bright pink Barbie salad, this quinoa beet salad can be made year-round with different vegetables added in. Topped with a zesty ginger lime dressing, it's the vegan quinoa salad dreams are made of. This is made with raw shredded beet so if you like beetroot you'll love this recipe!
For some more great plant-based meal salads, try my vegan version of a hot girl summer salad, a sandwich worthy spicy vegan chickpea salad, or warm potato salad with herbs (potatoes are a a full meal, yes).
Ingredients
This is a pretty flexible recipe, and you can use any add-in vegetables that are in season at the time. Beets are pretty good just about year round as they store so well.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Quinoa: this can be any colour of quinoa, but white will take on the pink from the beet most noticeably. Be sure to rinse the quinoa if it hasn't been pre-rinsed.
- Vegetables: we love to add extra veggies here and it's a great way to use up leftover roasted vegetables. Try roasted winter squash in the colder months, or avocado when it's in season.
- Feta: I like tofu feta (get a recipe with my Greek chopped salad) but if you eat dairy you could use sheep feta if preferred.
- Beetroot: like the quinoa, this can be any colour of beet, but a red one will make for the most pink salad. Any shape will work but you want a medium beet, about the size of of a tennis ball.
- Seeds: use any mix of seeds or nuts you like. The colour contrast with pumpkin seeds is nice.
- Herbs: if you don't like cilantro, use parsley instead. Dill is nice here too.
- Dressing: if ginger and lime doesn't call to you, try my nutritional yeast dressing or zesty Italian dressing instead.
How to Make Quinoa Salad
Step 1: cook the quinoa in well-salted water.
Step 2: spread the quinoa out onto a baking sheet to cool faster.
Step 3: mix in the beet while the quinoa is still warm, then let it cool fully.
Step 4: mix in the remaining ingredients and serve.
Top Tips
- Make it ahead: the quinoa base can be made a couple of days in advance and kept in the fridge. It's good to make ahead so that you have it on hand and it's already cold.
- Serve how you like: you can mix in the greens or serve the salad on a bed of greens, it's up to you. For packing lunches, I like to portion the salad into containers and then top with greens so that they don't get soggy in the fridge.
- Have a warm salad instead: in fall and winter, you might prefer to serve the salad warm instead of cooling the quinoa. This is nice with roasted vegetables, but make sure to use a green that can hold up to some heat, like kale or chard.
How to Store
Storage: keep in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Freezing: the full salad shouldn't be frozen, but the beet quinoa freezes well for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before mixing with the other salad ingredients.
FAQ
Can I eat quinoa salad cold?
Quinoa salad is usually served cold, but it can be eaten warm or cold, depending on the ingredients and season.
What can I add to quinoa to make it taste good?
If your quinoa doesn't taste good, it might just need to be rinsed before cooking to remove the bitter saponins. Make sure you cook it in salted water and add vegetables or a dressing you really like.
Why shouldn't quinoa be soaked?
Quinoa can be soaked like any other grain, but there is a chance that the saponins (what can make quinoa taste bitter) can migrate from the outer layer into the grain and make it bitter even if well-rinsed.
If you make this Quinoa Beet Salad or any other vegan salads on Wholehearted Eats, please take a moment to rate the recipe and leave a comment below. It’s such a help to others who want to try the recipe. For more WHE, follow along on Instagram or subscribe for new posts via email.
Recipe
Quinoa Beet Salad
Equipment
- 1 lidded pot
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Box grater
- Mixing bowl
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups quinoa
- 1 medium beet
- 1 cup chopped red pepper
- ½ cup chopped cilantro or parsley
- ½ cup vegan feta or dairy alterative
- ½ cup chopped green onion
- ¼ cup pumpkin seeds or other seeds or nuts
- 1 large handful of greens
- 1 batch ginger lime dressing
Instructions
- Cook the quinoa in well-salted water according to package instructions. While it's cooking, shred the beet on the smaller side of a box grater.1 ½ cups quinoa
- Once the quinoa is fully cooked, transfer it to a baking sheet. While it's still warm, mix in the shredded beet, then set it aside to cool fully. The quinoa will turn pink when the beet is mixed into it. This can be done a day or two in advance and the beet quinoa kept in a sealed container in the fridge.1 medium beet
- When the quinoa mixture is cooled, add it to a large mixing bowl with the red pepper (or other vegetables), cilantro, feta, green onion, seeds, and half of the dressing.1 cup chopped red pepper, ½ cup chopped cilantro, ½ cup vegan feta, ½ cup chopped green onion, ¼ cup pumpkin seeds, 1 batch ginger lime dressing
- Either mix in the greens or serve the salad on a bed of greens, drizzled with the remaining dressing. If you want to make the salad ahead of time, mix in the greens immediately before serving.1 large handful of greens, 1 batch ginger lime dressing