Costco Quinoa Salad Recipe – Healthy and Delicious!
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Costco quinoa salad is a fresh, simple side dish. It’s made with a hearty mix of quinoa, lentils, rice and kale, plus crispy veggies like cucumber, tomato, and bell pepper all tossed in a zippy lemon dressing. It’s perfect for a simple side dish or meal prepping lunches for the week.
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What you’ll love about this recipe
Here is what you will need
Quinoa salad ingredient list
- Quinoa -white, red, black or a mix of them all
- Brown Rice
- Lentils – brown, green red or black
- Red Bell Pepper – yellow, orange will work too
- Tomato
- Cucumber
- Fresh Parsely
- Fresh Cilantro
- Garlic
- Kale
- Olive Oil
- Lemon Juice
- Apple Cider Vinegar
- Maple Syrup
- Sea Salt
- Black Pepper
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How to make Costco-style quinoa salad
Prepare the ingredients: Cook the rice, quinoa and lentils according to package instructions. Chop the veggies and whisk together the tangy dressing in a small bowl or jar.
STEP 1: Place the cooked quinoa, brown rice, lentils, and veggies into a mixing bowl.
STEP 2: Pour in half of the dressing and mix it in.
STEP 3: Add the fresh herbs and mix everything. Season with sea salt and pepper. Serve immediately or refrigerate.
Tips
- This easy quinoa salad recipe is a great way to use up leftover rice or quinoa.
- Play around with the ratio of rice, quinoa, and lentils to your preference. There should be about 2 1/2 cups of whole grains and lentils.
- Save time, and use pre-chopped veggies from the supermarket.
How to make Costco quinoa salad ahead of time
This delicious salad is so easy to make ahead of time! Here’s how:
- Cook the quinoa, rice and lentils up to two days ahead and store them separately in the refrigerator.
- Chop up the vegetables, and store them in their own airtight container in the refrigerator for two to three days.
- Make the dressing and store it in the fridge.
- When it’s time to serve the salad, combine all of the salad ingredients in a large serving bowl. Add the dressing and herbs.
Variations
This healthy salad is so versatile! Feel free to follow the recipe as-is, or mix things up based on what you have on hand. Here are a few easy ways to change it up:
- Veggie Swap – Don’t have cucumbers or tomatoes? Try it with cooked mushrooms, steamed broccoli, shredded carrtos, zucchini or chopped asparagus.
- Greek Inspired – Add 1/4 to 1/2 cup kalamata olives and a handful (abour 1/4 cup) of crumbled feta for a Mediterranean twist.
- Spicy – Mix in 1/2 to 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes or a chopped jalapeno pepper for a spicy kick.
Serving suggestions
Serve this zesty quinoa salad as a main dish or a side dish. It tastes great topped with a dash of lemon zest alongside grilled pork chops, burgers or chicken. It’s also perfect to bring to your next potluck!
How to store and use leftover quinoa salad
Leftover quinoa salad will last in the refrigerator in an airtight container for 3 to 4 days.
Use leftover salad in lettuce wraps, on top of field greens or use as a grain bowl base.
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Recipe FAQs
Freezing Costco quinoa salad is not recommended, the vegetables and dressing add a considerable amount of moisture to this salad, and it will be soggy once it has thawed out. You can, however, freeze plain-cooked quinoa and rice. Place cooked room temperature quinoa and rice into an airtight bag for up to three months. Thaw it out in the refrigerator overnight and use it to make the salad.
Yes, this salad is vegan. It’s a good source of protein and fresh veggies!
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Quinoa Salad Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup uncooked Red or French Lentils or 1/2 cup cooked
- 1/4 cup uncooked long grain brown rice or 1 cup cooked
- 1/4 cup uncooked quinoa or 1 cup cooked quinoa
- 1/2 of a medium to large red bell pepper chopped
- 1 small tomato chopped or half of a large tomato
- 1 small cucumber or 1/2 of a large chopped
- 3/4 cup baby kale chopped fine or shredded.
- 1/4 cup of chopped flat leaf parsely
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- The juice of one lemon
- Sea salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- If they are not already cooked, cook the whole grains and lentils according to package instructions.
- While the whole grains are cooking, chop the vegetables.
- Place the cooked whole grains and lentils into a large mixing bowl and add the chopped vegetables.
- Mix in half to 3/4 quarters of the dressing and serve and then add the parsley and cilantro – season with sea salt and pepper.
- Serve immediately with extra dressing on the side or refrigerate until it's time to serve.
Video
Notes
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- This easy quinoa salad recipe is a great way to use up leftover rice or quinoa.
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- Play around with the ratio of rice, quinoa, and lentils to your preference. There should be about 2 1/2 cups of whole grains and lentils. I like an equal amount of rice and quinoa and fewer lentils. If you love lentils, add more of them!gingerbread tart.
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- Save time, and use pre-chopped veggies from the supermarket to make this recipe.
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and can vary based on cooking methods and ingredients used
