Apr 22, 2016

Vegetable Quinoa Salad with Honey Lemon Vinaigrette

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
5 from 2 votes
This summer quinoa salad recipe is packed with seasonal ingredients like zucchini, corn, tomatoes in this vegetarian dish.
Featured Recipe Image

jump toRECIPE

This post may contain affiliate links, which means that I make a small commission off items you purchase at no additional cost to you. Please read my policy page.

I love shopping at my local farmers market in the summer months to add to this quinoa salad. They have organic and local fruits vegetables, beautiful flowers and local restaurants at set up stands. This veggie quinoa salad is one my favorite meals to make after going to the farmers market because it is an easy fresh farm to table meal perfect for summer. Walking up and down the aisles of stands always inspires me. The honey lemon vinaigrette keeps the salad moist and adds a sweet, acidic flavor.

Vegetable Quinoa Salad with Honey Lemon Vinaigrette

sliced zucchini tomatoes corn and green onions on cutting board

Key Ingredients in This Recipe

  • Quinoa – Cooking the quinoa in chicken broth makes for a more flavorful quinoa. Water can be substituted for the chicken broth in a pinch.
  • Zucchini – Zucchini or courgette is a summer squash with a mild, slightly sweet flavor. Try swapping or supplementing the zucchini with yellow squash. I like to cook the zucchini until it’s golden brown for added flavor.
  • Corn – While I use fresh corn in this recipe, frozen corn can easily be thawed and substituted in this recipe.
  • Tomato – Diced Roma tomatoes are used in this recipe. They have a low-moisture content and big acidic tomato flavor. They can easily be swapped with beefsteak tomatoes or halved cherry tomatoes.
  • Feta – Feta cheese has a tangy and salty flavor. It’s frequently used in Greek cooking and is typically made from sheep’s milk. It complements the vegetables and quinoa in this fresh summer salad.

How to Make Vegetable Quinoa Salad

quinoa grains
Step 1 : Cook the quinoa.

In a medium saucepan over medium heat bring the chicken broth to a boil. Add the quinoa, and cook covered on medium-low heat until the broth is absorbed and the quinoa is tender.

Step 2: Fluff the quinoa.

Fluff the quinoa with a fork. Cover and set aside.

quinoa cooked and fluffed with fork
lemon honey vinaigrette
Step 3: Make the honey lemon dressing.

Combine the lemon zest, lemon juice, honey, olive oil, minced garlic, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Whisk to combine and set aside.

Step 4: Cook zucchini.

Heat the remaining olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the zucchini sauté until tender, about 4 minutes.

sautéed zucchini slices in sauté pan
sautéed zucchini with corn and garlic
Step 5: Cook corn.

Add the corn and the garlic and continue to cook until the corn kernels soften, about an additional 3 minutes. Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper.

Step 6: Combine quinoa and veggies.

In a large bowl combine the quinoa, zucchini and corn mixture, tomato and green onion. Add the vinaigrette stirring to coat all the ingredients evenly. Add half of the feta cheese and herbs, then toss to combine once more.

cooked quinoa and sautéed zucchini and corn salad
Vegetable Quinoa Salad with Honey Lemon Vinaigrette summer recipe
Step 7: Serve.

To serve the vegetable quinoa salad, top with the remaining feta cheese, parsley and dill. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve at room temperature or refrigerate until chilled.

summer quinoa salad recipe with honey lemon vinaigrette with zucchini, corn, tomatoes in this vegetarian dish

Tips and Tricks for This Recipe

Swaps and substitutions 
  • This recipe is flexible so you can easily add your favorite summer vegetables like yellow squash, bell pepper, diced cucumber, thinly sliced snap peas or ripe avocado. 
  • The roma tomatoes can be swapped for halved cherry tomatoes. 
  • The feta can be swapped for another crumbly cheese like cotija. You can also replace the feta with pieces of grilled halloumi. 
Variations on this quinoa salad
  • Make it vegan. To make this recipe vegan, simply omit the feta cheese. 
  • Swap the grain. Rather than quinoa, try using another grain like farro or couscous (however the recipe will no longer be gluten-free). 
  • Make it more filling. Add a protein like a meat or seafood pairing from below or add greens like arugula or baby spinach. 
What to Pair with This Quinoa Salad
Vegetable Quinoa Salad with Honey Lemon Vinaigrette in white bowl

Other Recipes to Try

If you like this vegetable quinoa salad recipe, try these other summer recipes:

Vegetable Quinoa Salad with Honey Lemon Vinaigrette

5 from 2 votes
Rate this Recipe
Print Pin
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Serves 8

Ingredients:

For the quinoa:

  • 2 cups chicken broth
  • 1 cup uncooked white quinoa

For the honey lemon vinaigrette:

  • 1 tablespoon lemon zest
  • 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 3 tablespoons honey
  • ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon ground pepper

For the vegetables:

  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 medium zucchini, cut in half lengthwise and sliced into half moons
  • 2 ears corn, cut off the cob
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • Kosher salt, as needed
  • Freshly ground black pepper, as needed
  • 1 medium Roma tomato, cored and diced
  • 2 green onions, sliced
  • ¼ cup roughly chopped flat-leaf parsley
  • 1 tablespoon fresh dill
  • ¾ cup crumbled feta cheese

Instructions:

For the quinoa:

  • In a medium saucepan over medium heat bring the chicken broth to a boil. Add the quinoa, and cook covered on medium-low heat until the broth is absorbed and the quinoa is tender, about 25 minutes.
  • Fluff the quinoa with a fork. Cover and set aside.

For the Honey Lemon dressing:

  • Combine the lemon zest, lemon juice, honey, olive oil, minced garlic, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Whisk to combine and set aside.

For the Vegetables:

  • Heat the remaining olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the zucchini sauté until tender, about 4 minutes.
  • Add the corn and the garlic and continue to cook until the corn kernels soften, about an additional 3 minutes. Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper.
  • In a large bowl combine the quinoa, zucchini and corn mixture, tomato and green onion. Add the vinaigrette stirring to coat all the ingredients evenly. Add half of the feta cheese and herbs, stirring to combine once more.

For serving:

  • To serve, top with the remaining feta cheese. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve at room temperature or refrigerate until chilled and serve.

Nutrition:

Calories: 233kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.001g | Cholesterol: 13mg | Sodium: 334mg | Potassium: 358mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 429IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 96mg | Iron: 2mg
DID YOU MAKE THIS?

TAG ME ON INSTAGRAM TO BE FEATURED ON MY STORIES! @cookingwithcocktailrings

Rate + Review

WHAT DID YOU THINK OF THIS RECIPE?

5 from 2 votes

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




  1. 5 stars
    The perfect summer salad! Light and refreshing but so much flavor!! Definitely will make again!