Broccoli Quinoa Salad

Jump To Recipe by Liz Thomson April 10, 2024 This post may contain affiliate links.

This broccoli quinoa salad is a great make-ahead recipe. Packed with nutritious ingredients and tossed in a tasty homemade dressing, this recipe makes a perfect side dish or filling lunch!

I love this broccoli quinoa salad because it’s the kind of recipe that tastes even better after a few hours in the fridge. It’s a great meal prep option for a quick lunch recipe and you don’t have to worry about anything getting soggy. This recipe comes together quickly with minimal cooking required. This salad can be served cold or at room temperature. The homemade tahini dressing has a lot of flavor and it’s easy to make! The vegetables in in this recipe are enjoyed raw but if you’re looking for a salad with roasted veggies, try my roasted broccoli salad!

Variations & Substitutions

If you want the dressing to be smooth, you can blend it in a small food processor or blender. I didn’t mind the finely chopped shallot in the dressing, but you could blend it to make it smooth, if desired.
You can add nuts or seeds for a little crunch. Try sunflower seeds or roasted pumpkin seeds for a tasty way to add a little texture to this quinoa broccoli salad.
I like the flavor of red wine vinegar but you could substitute with apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar, if desired.
You could add some crumbled feta cheese if you want to add a salty, creamy note to this salad.
A few handfuls of spinach can also be tossed into this salad if you wanted to add some leafy greens.

Where to Buy Quinoa

You’ll typically find quinoa sold in bags in the natural section of the grocery store, by the rice or gluten-free products. There are a few different kinds, like red quinoa, tri-color quinoa, and regular white quinoa. It all tastes pretty similar, so any of them will work in this recipe. I also like the Success Rice Boil-in-Bag quinoa because you can make it in the microwave. You might even be able to find quinoa in the bulk bins, which tends to be the cheapest! If you don’t see it at the grocery store, you can always find quinoa on Amazon and have it delivered right to your door! If you’re looking for other quinoa recipes, try my pesto quinoa salad or caprese quinoa salad.

How to Cook Quinoa

Most quinoa should be rinsed before cooking. Some bagged varieties will come pre-rinsed, but if you’re not sure, give it a rinse just to be safe. I place it in a fine mesh sieve and then run it under cold water. Be sure it’s a very fine mesh strainer so the quinoa doesn’t fall through. This strainer on Amazon is a great one for quinoa!

To prepare quinoa, there are a few different ways you can make it:

How to Make Quinoa In a Rice Cooker– I love making quinoa in the rice cooker because it cooks perfect quinoa every time. Just add 1 part quinoa and 2 parts water to the rice cooker and press start.
How to Cook Quinoa on the Stovetop– Use a two-to-one ratio of water to quinoa. Simmer for 15-20 minutes or until the water is absorbed, then fluff it with a fork.
How to Make Quinoa in an Instant Pot– This is a quick, fool-proof method for perfect quinoa, but it works best for larger batches of quinoa.