Name: Italian Quinoa Salad
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 8
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 1 cup quinoa; 2 cups water; 1 cup grape tomatoes, halved; ½ cup pearl mozzarella; ⅓ cup basil, julienned; ¼ cup diced red onion; ⅓ cup olive oil; 3 tablespoon balsamic vinegar; 1 tablespoon honey; ½ tablespoon dijon mustard; ½ teaspoon salt; ¼ teaspoon pepper

This Italian Quinoa Salad is a perfect side dish with all the flavors of a caprese salad. Eat it cold for lunch or warm up for dinner!

Italian Quinoa Salad

This Italian Quinoa Salad recipe might be one of my favorite ways to eat quinoa ever, especially with the tangy balsamic vinaigrette. It’s so easy to just grab a fork and dig in!

The quinoa salad is a perfect summertime recipe. It full of fresh flavors and bright in taste which keeps people coming back for more.

I love serving it as a main dish with Grilled Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs to add some protein or as a side dish served cold during a potluck alongside these Baked Italian Sliders.

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a bunch of basil and three bowls filled with grape tomatoes, pearl mozzarella, and diced red onion

What ingredients do I need for an Italian Quinoa Salad?

You’ll just need a few ingredients to make this Italian quinoa recipe:

Quinoa
Water
Grape tomatoes or cherry tomatoes
Pearl mozzarella
Fresh basil
Red onion

For the dressing ingredients, you’ll need:

Olive oil
Balsamic vinegar
Honey
Dijon mustard
Salt
Black pepper

You can use any type of quinoa that you have on hand. I usually like making it with tri-color quinoa mostly for how pretty it ends up being!

If you can’t find pearl mozzarella, you can also get a ball of fresh mozzarella and cut it into bite sized pieces to add in. Or you can remove the mozzarella cheese altogether to keep it dairy free.

If you have leftover mozzarella cheese, try making this Baked Chicken Caprese or Tie Dye Pizza.

a small pot full of fluffed quinoa and a fork

What other ingredients could I add to this salad?

To make this more of a mediterranean quinoa salad recipe, you could add in some kalamata olives, black olives, sun dried tomatoes or roasted tomatoes, feta cheese, and pine nuts. Some diced bell peppers, zucchini, green onions, fresh parsley, or arugula could also make it a great veggie filled salad.

For the dressing, you could even swap out those ingredients for something as simple as Italian dressing.

Is this salad gluten free?

Quinoa is naturally gluten-free! Before you start preparing everything, be sure to check all of your individual ingredients to be sure.

a white bowl and spoon on a white plate with balsamic vinaigrette in it

Make ahead tips

Making this dish ahead of time is a breeze. You’ll definitely want to cook your quinoa ahead of time to let it cool first, then prepare the rest of your veggies. Toss everything together once the quinoa is cooled and store it in an airtight container.

You can also keep the dressing assembled in a small mason jar to pour over the dish once you’re ready. The cold italian quinoa salad can hold up to the dressing if you want to pour it over so it can soak into the quinoa!

halved grape tomatoes, diced basil, diced red onion, pearl mozzarella, and quinoa grouped together in a bowl

How do I store leftovers for Italian Quinoa Salad?

Leftovers can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container or at least three days. It’s a great cold salad so you can eat it straight from the fridge too!

Can you double this recipe?

Yeah! It can easily double or triple for meal prep or for parties. The leftovers can stay in the refrigerator for a few days after assembly.

a white bowl full of italian quinoa salad and a basil garnish

How to Make Italian Quinoa Salad

It only takes a few steps to make:

Combine your quinoa and water into a medium sauce pan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and cover to cook quinoa. Let it simmer together for 13-15 minutes until the water is absorbed then fluff with a fork and set aside to cool.

In a large bowl, combine your halved grape tomatoes, pearl mozzarella, basil, and diced red onion.

In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, honey, dijon mustard, salt, and pepper until the mixture is combined.

Once your quinoa is room temperature, add it to the large bowl with the tomatoes and mix together. Drizzle your balsamic mixture on top and toss together until it’s nice and combined.

Serve the quinoa salad cold or heat up and serve warm!

Italian Quinoa Salad

Yield: 8 servings

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

This Italian Quinoa Salad is a perfect side dish with all the flavors of a caprese salad. Eat it cold for lunch or warm up for dinner!

Ingredients

1 cup quinoa
2 cups water
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
½ cup pearl mozzarella
⅓ cup basil, julienned
¼ cup diced red onion

For the dressing:

⅓ cup olive oil
3 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
½ tablespoon dijon mustard
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper

Instructions

Combine quinoa and water in a small pot. Bring to boil then reduce heat slightly and cover. Let simmer for 13-15 mins until the water has been absorbed. Fluff with a fork and set aside to cool.
In a large bowl, combine grape tomatoes, pearl mozzarella, basil, and red onion.
In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, balsamic vinegar, honey, dijon mustard, salt, and pepper until the mixture is emulsified and combined.
Once quinoa is room temperature, add to the large bowl with the tomatoes and mix together. Drizzle the balsamic mixture on top and toss together.
Serve cold or heat up and serve warm!

Notes

Any color quinoa can be used.
Microwave quinoa is a good alternative if you're looking to make this quickly!
If you can't find pearl mozzarella, you can use a ball or slices broken up into smaller bites.
Put the diced red onion in ice water to lessen the sharp bite of it if raw red onion isn't your thing. Just be sure to rinse and dry it before adding it to the salad.