Springtime Vegetable Quinoa Salad
AKA the salad I want to eat allll spring and summer long.
Fresh peas, thinly ribboned carrots, shaved asparagus and sliced radishes all bring bright, seasonal flavor to this balanced salad. Then we add hearty, high protein quinoa, fiber-rich garbanzo beans, crunchy almonds, tangy feta and a bright lemon dressing to tie it all together? Simply irresistible.
This recipe is fabulous to make ahead. Since radishes, carrots and aspragus are all hearty veggies, they last a long time and don’t get soggy. You may want to keep the dressing on the side though, until ready to eat. My suggestion would be to combine the veggies, quinoa, garbanzo beans and feta and then when ready to eat, add the almonds, feta and dressing!
It is most common to eat asparagus cooked. But in this recipe, we shave it reeeeal thin which makes it lovely to consume raw. I just use a regular vegetable peeler to thinly shave the carrots and asparagus into delicate ribbons. Chances are you will have leftover pieces of the carrot and asparagus that you can’t quite shave. I like to save these to chop and add to stir-fry or soup.
So if you’re looking for a way to switch up the lunch game and pack an ultra nutritious punch midday, this salad is for you. If you’re looking for some more meatless meal inspo, this salad is for you. And if you’re simply looking for a delicious recipe, this salad is for YOU!
Trust me on this one. Drop me a comment down below if you try it!
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Springtime Vegetable Quinoa Salad
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4–6 servings 1x
Description
A fresh springtime salad that is both light and hearty, packed with vegetables and filling from fiber and plant-based protein. Perfect meal prep for lunches or a veggie-packed dinner!
Ingredients
Quinoa
- 1 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained well
- 1 3/4 cup vegetable broth
Salad
- 1 can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
- 6 radishes, thinly sliced
- 1/2lb asparagus, thinly sliced using a vegetable peeler
- 3 large carrots, thinly sliced using a vegetable peeler
- 1 cup cooked spring peas
- 1/2 cup each fresh mint and parsley, thinly sliced
- 1/3 cup toasted sliced almonds
- 2 oz feta, crumbled
Dressing
- juice from 1 whole large lemon
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon agave
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- big pinches of kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper
Instructions
Quinoa
Drain and rinse quinoa. Add broth and quinoa to small saucepan and bring to a rolling boil. Reduce heat to barely a simmer, cover and let cook for 15 minutes. Remove lid and fluff with a fork.
Salad
Prepare veggies. You will likely have the innermost parts of the carrot and asparagus stalks that you are not able to peel into ribbons (save these, chop them and add to soup or stir-fry!) Toss together cooked and slightly cooled quinoa, garbanzo beans, radishes, asparagus, carrots, peas and herbs and toss well. Gently fold in the dressing, feta and almonds.
Dressing
Whisk all dressing ingredients together until thoroughly combined. Season with salt and pepper.
Notes
Make it dairy free: omit the feta
Change it up: feel free to use a different grain like wild rice, bulgur or barley! Or a different legume like white beans, edamame or tofu instead of garbanzo beans.
This salad keeps really well for leftovers. For meal prep, I like to assemble the salad but keep the almonds, feta and dressing separate until just before serving.
If you don’t use all of the dressing, no problem! Just store in an glass jar for use on future salads.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/6 of recipe
- Calories: 410
- Sugar: 11g
- Sodium: 610mg
- Fat: 20g
- Carbohydrates: 44g
- Fiber: 10g
- Protein: 14g
This salad is so refreshing and delicious!! The mint is my favorite flavor in the combo.
right?? that fresh mint in there just adds so much flavor and freshness!