Ready in under 30 minutes and using only 10 ingredients, this Grilled Vegetable Quinoa Salad is a healthy addition to any Summer dinner!
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What's in this Salad?
Quinoa is considered a "superfood" and has recently come onto the scene as a rice replacement. It is considered a better alternative to other carbs, such as pasta and rice. It's full of fiber and protein making a better choice when you're looking for a carb.
Quinoa- Use your favorite brand! Trader Joe's has some great options as does Aldi. If you want to buy one on Amazon, I recommend this one.
Summer Veggies- For this recipe, I used zucchini, bell peppers, and red onion. You can also use yellow squash, Portobello mushrooms, and Vidalia onions. This recipe is very versatile and you can substitute your favorite veggies!
Balsamic Vinegar- Balsamic vinegar serves, not only, as a marinade for the veggies, but also as the vinaigrette. If you don't have balsamic vinegar, red wine vinegar works perfectly as well.
Mozzarella- Fresh mozzarella is my favorite, but cut up regular mozzarella would be a great substitute. Stay away from shredded as it would just disappear into the salad.
Let's Make It!
Time needed: 30 minutes.
Let's Make this Grilled Vegetable Quinoa Salad!
- Cook the quinoa
Boil the quinoa according to package instructions using the chicken broth to cook the quinoa in.
- Marinate the vegetables
While the quinoa is cooking, cut the vegetables into quarters and place them in a Ziploc bag. Add ¼ cup of balsamic vinegar to the Ziploc bag and let the vegetables sit for 5 minutes.
- Grill the vegetables
After the vegetables have marinated for 5 minutes, place them on the hot grill and grill them for 5 minutes on each side. Take them off the grill and place them on a cutting board.
- Chop the vegetables
When the vegetables have been taken off the grill, chop them into bite sized pieces and add them to a large bowl.
- Add the quinoa
Once the quinoa is done cooking, add the quinoa to the bowl of grilled vegetables.
- Add the basil
Chop the basil and add it to the bowl.
- Add the vinaigrette
Mix the rest of the balsamic vinegar and the extra virgin olive oil and add it to the bowl.
- Mix everything together
If the quinoa and grilled vegetables are cooled, add the mozzarella at this time. If it's still a little hot, wait until the salad has cooled and add the mozzarella. You don't want the mozzarella to melt. Mix everything together and serve at room temperature or cool and serve cold.
Tip: If you want to make this indoors instead of outdoors, a stovetop grill pan will get your the same results an outdoor grill.
Frequently Asked Questions
This salad will last in the refrigerator for 4-5 days.
Make it vegan!- Instead of mozzarella, add avocado for some extra healthy fats. Use vegetable broth or water to cook the quinoa in.
Make it a dinner!- Add grilled chicken to the salad or top it with grilled shrimp for a complete protein packed dinner.
Make it Greek!- Add cucumbers and black olives to the salad and sub out the mozzarella for feta. An amazing salad idea!
Serve this salad as a side to a burger like this Chicken burger with feta and spinach. It would also be perfect as a side to grilled salmon, grilled shrimp, steak tips, or even grilled chicken!
Other Recipes to Try!
Did you give this Grilled Vegetable Quinoa Salad a try? I’d love to hear from you! Give me a shout on Instagram or Facebook and share this recipe on Pinterest! And don't forget to check out some other drool worthy recipes below! Thanks for sharing this journey with me and enjoy these delicious recipes!
- Death by Chocolate Zucchini Bread
- Lemon and Blueberry Zucchini Bread with Lemon Icing
- Grandma's Eggplant Caponata
- Sheet Pan Brats with Roasted Vegetables
Grilled Vegetable Quinoa Salad
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups Quinoa Rinsed
- 3 cups Chicken Broth Low Sodium
- 1 large Red Onion
- 1 Zucchini
- 1 Red Bell Pepper
- ¾ cups Balsamic Vinegar Separated into ¼ and ½ cups
- ¼ cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- ½ cup Fresh Basil
- 1 cup Fresh Mozzarella Pearls
- Salt and Pepper to Taste
Instructions
- Cook the quinoa according to package instructions using the chicken broth as the liquid it cooks in.
- While the quinoa cooks, cut the zucchini and red bell peppers into four strips each (see picture in post). Cut the red onion into four rounds and place them all in a Ziploc bag. Add ¼ cup of balsamic vinegar and allow the vegetables to marinate for 5 minutes.
- Take the vegetables out of the Ziploc bag and grill them for 5 minutes on each side.
- When the vegetables are done grilling, place them on a cutting board and chop them into bite sized pieces. Place them in a large bowl.
- Add the cooked quinoa to the large bowl with the vegetables.
- Chop the basil and add the basil to the bowl with the quinoa and vegetables.
- Add the olive oil and rest of the balsamic vinegar to the bowl and mix everything to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste and top with the mozzarella pearls. Allow the salad to cool, or serve the salad at room temperature.
Notes
- To make this vegan, use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth and do not add the mozzarella.
- If you cannot find mozzarella pearls, chop fresh mozzarella into bite sized pieces.
- Use low sodium chicken broth so you can control the amount of salt that is added to the salad.
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