Simple to make, healthy and delicious, this Caprese Quinoa Salad is a huge crowd pleaser! It will be ready in 30 minutes and is packed with protein.
When I think of summer foods, I picture light salads, grilled vegetables and of course, fun cocktails! (We all believe in moderation, right?)
This salad is so fresh and light and packed with protein, even without any meat. Quinoa provides all the essential amino acids (building blocks of protein) and the vegetables, fresh basil and mozzarella pack on the flavor!
I am always looking for easy to make salad recipes made with fresh ingredients, especially during the summer. I love any salad that I can make ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator for a quick lunch.
Why You Should Make This Quinoa Salad
This whole recipe can be ready in 30 minutes, from start to finish. It also tastes delicious if you let it sit for a few hours in the refrigerator to let it "marinate" a bit.
But that's if you are patient enough to wait.
Everyone loves this delicious salad and I love to make it for parties and gatherings. It's always the first dish to be finished too, which I will take as a good sign.
This quinoa salad only has 8 very simple ingredients to make this. I love to visit my local farmer's market to get my fresh basil, tomatoes and mozzarella.
Recipe FAQ's and Expert Tips
Yes, of course you can. The mozzarella might melt a bit, but it will still taste delicious.
Yes! I have made this with feta and burrata before and both of them were divine. Get creative and use whatever cheese you'd like.
You can use arugula or even fresh oregano if you'd like. Or you can leave out the basil completely and add little more garlic.
Related Recipes
Avocado Tomato Bean Quinoa Salad with Chia Balsamic Vinaigrette from Lauren Kelly Nutrition
Spiralized Beet and Quinoa Salad from Lauren Kelly Nutrition
Favorite Quinoa Salad from Eating Bird Food
Lemony Kale Lentil Quinoa Salad from Lauren Kelly Nutrition
Delicious Quinoa Salad from Cookie and Kate
Please feel free to follow me on Pinterest, Facebook and Instagram! Thanks for stopping by!
Caprese Quinoa Salad
Ingredients
- 2 cups uncooked quinoa rinsed and drained
- 32 ounces vegetable broth
- ½ cup red grape tomatoes halved
- ½ cup yellow grape tomatoes halved
- ½ cup fresh mozzarella sliced
- ¼ cup fresh basil. torn and chopped
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 clove garlic diced
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Cook quinoa in vegetable broth according to instructions.
- Allow to cool completely.
- Prepare dressing by adding oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic, salt and pepper in sealable glass jar. Shake well.
- Add tomatoes, basil and mozzarella cheese to cooled quinoa.
- Toss with dressing and allow to sit in the refrigerator for a couple of hours so all of the flavors marinade.
Jessica
I've been trying to eat more quinoa but wasn't sure how to make it different than what I was already doing. THIS was perfect! So delicious and full of flavor. Thank you!
Toni
This is such an amazing salad! My whole family loved it!
Allyssa
Thank you so much for sharing this amazing recipe! Will surely have this again! It's really easy to make and it tasted so delicious!
Eden
This salad turned out so flavorful! The colors are so pretty too! We loved this salad 🙂
Matt
Such a yummy and super healthy dish. I like Caprese anything haha. You can never go wrong with mozzarella and tomatoes.
Toni
Everyone at my house loved this salad! I will definitely make it again! Thanks!